


The Limelight

by GlamourHobo



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi, Polyamorous Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 28,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28625187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlamourHobo/pseuds/GlamourHobo
Summary: You were still at the job at your aunt's cafe you’d been stuck at since coming to the city right out of college. You were thankful to your aunt certainly. She had given you a way to make a living and also allowed the occasional off day for auditions. But you felt like you were dying in the city of Angels. You weren’t the only one. So many just like you came to Los Angeles to be somebody. It just was maddeningly frustrating to feel like you were going nowhere any time soon. However, all of that was going to change when a rare opporunity falls right into your lap and leads you into the limelight.(It's mostly going to be gender neutral except for a few chapters. Then it'll be kind of like a sexy 'Choose  your own Adventure' chapter selection. You pick between male/female)
Relationships: Apprentice/Asra (The Arcana), Apprentice/Julian Devorak, Apprentice/Lucio (The Arcana), Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana), Apprentice/Nadia (The Arcana), Apprentice/Portia Devorak, Asra (The Arcana)/Reader, Asra (The Arcana)/You, Julian Devorak/Reader, Julian Devorak/You, Lucio (The Arcana)/Reader, Lucio (The Arcana)/You, Muriel (The Arcana)/Reader, Muriel (The Arcana)/You, Nadia (The Arcana)/Reader, Nadia (The Arcana)/You, Portia Devorak & You, Portia Devorak/Reader
Comments: 57
Kudos: 93





	1. Audition

You felt like you were dying in the city of Angels. You weren’t the only one. So many just like you came to Los Angeles to be somebody. Even when faced with this reality as a child, you’d denied it. You had been determined not to fail. Yet here you were, working in your aunt’s cafe on the edge of the city. 

It was a job you’d been stuck at since coming to the city right out of college. You were thankful to your aunt certainly. She had given you a way to make a living and also allowed the occasional off day for auditions. It just was maddeningly frustrating to feel like you were going nowhere any time soon.

“Why so glum?” a voice says out of nowhere. Your attention turns to the petite, curvy woman with long, curly red hair. Her soft, blue-grey eyes watched you curiously. A small smile on her pale freckled face.

“Portia!” you respond with a grin, “Aw. I’m just zoning out I guess.”

“Daydreaming about anything good?” Portia asks with a mischievous look. 

“Nothing as exciting as that. Do you want the usual?” you reply with a slight blush on your cheeks.

Portia had been coming to your aunt’s cafe often throughout the three years you worked there. You’d gotten to know each other fairly well during that time with your little conversations. You knew she was a cat mom to her beloved Pepi. She loves your aunt’s bread pudding. She seems to know all the juicy gossip. And the only reason she started coming by was because her boss apparently loves the coffee here.

“You’re probably going to see me a lot more frequently now. The boss is starting a new project in town,” Portia comments.

“I’m guessing that means your job as a personal assistant is going to get a lot harder?” you ask as you work on Portia’s order.

“I can handle it. Contrary to popular belief, I am the organizational queen,” Portia says.

“Oh I believe it. You know I’d like to meet this boss of yours some day. The way you describe here sometimes sounds interesting, but I know you’ve also been sworn to secrecy about who you work for exactly,” you say.

“Hmmmm... yeah,” Portia says softly. It wasn’t that weird to not reveal whose assistant you were in this town. A lot of people in LA want to keep their privacy. A sudden thought comes to you that you voice out loud.

“You know what I just realized? I know so much about you except for your last name, which is so weird to me. We’ve known each other a while, but I guess that’s a secret too. I bet in reality you’re like a secret agent or something. Or mafia,” you say in a way to hopefully get Portia to tell you finally.  
“If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you…” Portia replies dramatically while also purposefully avoiding the question.

“Fair enough,” you say.

“So… how’d that last tryout go?” Portia asks, conveniently changing the subject again. You sigh.

“It’s been about a week and no call back. I’m close to giving up,” you say. Portia lets out a little gasp.

“No! You shouldn’t give up. You’d be great! Maybe you just haven’t found the right role?” Portia said encouragingly. 

“Thanks for thinking that. I don’t know. I’ve just been a little melancholy lately. Like I’m in a rut I can’t out of,” you say.

Portia frowns, her expression turning worried. She bites her bottom lip as her eyes look  
towards the ceiling. Portia seems to be in deep thought about something before ruffling around in her bag. Portia then pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to you.

“Here,” she says with the return of her vibrant smile.

“What is it?” you ask.

“Possibly the right role?” Portia says, practically gleaming.

“Th-thank-you,” you say at a loss for words really. 

Portia just winks at you as she pays for her order.

\----------------------------------------------  
Three days later…

You are excited, but nervous. This mysterious audition you got from Portia was today. After calling the number for the audition on the paper Portia had given you, they’d given you a time and location. It was rather odd. Whatever the production was going to be was very hush-hush. Maybe Portia was a spy or something?

You arrive near a bunch of warehouses and park beside other cars in a make-shift parking area. Shutting off your car, your eyes move towards what looks like two huge bouncer-like men standing by one of the warehouse doors. You swallow. It was now or never you suppose.

You step out of the car and make your way over to the warehouse doors. The two men guarding it watch you carefully. One of them pulls out a clipboard and continues to stare at you. Yep, excitement dying down. You’re definitely really nervous now.

“Hi I’m Y/N. I’m here for the audition?” you say.

“That checks out…” the man holding the clipboard says, “Please enter and go to the left”.

You step inside and follow the directions. It looks like the warehouse has been outfitted with portable wall paneling. You walk down to a door with a paper taped to it reading ‘Auditions’. You take one more deep breath before walking in.

There’s a panel of people sitting at a table on one side of the room. You watch them as you walk to the center. Most of them looked bored. One slides a script over to the front of the table. You rush over to pick it up. It’s an excerpt from a script. ‘The Arcana’ is scrawled on top. You suppose that’s whatever this audition is for.

“State your name,” one of them says.

“Y/N,” you reply.

“You’ll be auditioning for the role of the magician's apprentice. Alright, Asra please join us for the reading,” another says.

You stop breathing. A svelte young man with golden brown skin, fluffy white hair, and deep violet eyes comes out of the shadows of the corner of the room. He’s breathtaking. You know him. Hell, everybody knows him. A few years back he was the teen heart-throb. You had a poster of him on your wall in middle school.

He was Asra Alnazar.

Asra FREAKING Alnazar.

“Hey,” Asra said with a smile.

“Hi…” you finally manage to speak.

“You ready?” he asks as he brings up the script.

“Yeah,” you say.

“Great. You have the first line,” Asra says, his tone continuing to be light and calming.

You just close your eyes a moment before beginning. The words come out in a flurry, You do your best to sound natural while your heart feels like it’s about to burst. Asra seems so calm and collected in comparison to you. However, he still manages to put emotions into the words he recites with you. And just like that, you finish.

“Alright. That’s enough. We’ll call to let you know if you made the part” one of the table group says.  
“Thank-you for your time,” you say politely.

“You did great,” Asra says. The comment catches you off guard as you look over at him. Asra Alnazar just said you were great. That’s great. Are you dreaming? Is this a dream? Will you end up being naked in your old high school classroom next?

“Th-thanks,” you say.

This whole audition was surreal from start to finish. You have no idea how Portia found out about this. You say your good-byes and walk out. You supposed even if you didn’t make the role. This was an experience in itself.

You grin.


	2. Casting Call

“So, you’ll be making mixtures and potions?” your aunt cooed as you guys were setting up for the day in the cafe. You let out a little laugh.

“No Idea. Nothing in the scene I read had potions in it. Plus, I don’t think this is a set deal yet,” you respond.

“Oh come on. A magician’s apprentice has to have magic potions. Or is it more like an old school magic show? And he’s going to saw you in half?” your aunt teases.

“Now there’s a thought. Asra Alnazar sawing me in half…” your mind wanders.

“It’s so amazing you got to meet a real celebrity even if you don’t make it!” your aunt says encouragingly

“That was my thought as I was leaving the other day after the audition,” you comment as you start turning on all the coffee machines.

You’re both quiet after that. It’s a calm quiet. You go to the back to grab the freshly baked goods and sandwiches to the front. Your aunt has other employees, but typically you both always open together. Your aunt tried to keep it a family business as much as possible. She thought it added to the cafe’s charm.

A small group of people was already forming outside as you walked to the door to change the sign from ‘closed’ to ‘open’. Once that was done and you unlocked the door, the group filtered in. Your aunt’s cafe was always a favorite of locals and others alike. You always wondered what made your aunt’s cafe so popular. You knew the food was good. Maybe the atmosphere? It was a cozy place. 

Now that the day has officially begun, you set to work. You take order after order as you try to keep up with the pace of customers coming in. Your aunt is also scurrying around the kitchen to prepare some of the other foods she offers. At least the tip jar is steadily filling up. It’s about 10:30am before you finally get a break when the other employee walks in.

The timing is seemingly perfect as your cell phone rings. You pull your phone out of your pocket to look at the number. It’s not one you recognize, but it was a local number. You press ‘accept’ and hold the phone to your ear as you make your way to the back of the cafe.

“Hello?” you answer.

“Is this Y/N?” the caller asks.

“Yes, that’s me…” you reply.

“I’m calling to inform you that you got the part of the apprentice. The casting committee liked your performance. They thought you had great chemistry with Asra. He agreed. Also, two of the other cast members wanted you on board,” the caller continues.

Your mind goes blank. Did you hear that right? You got the part. YOU GOT THE PART! Oh my god. You start to register what else the caller said. Asra thinks you have great chemistry. And the other cast members… wait.

“Other cast members?” you say, somewhat puzzled.

“Yes, they said they’d like to work with you as well. Must be nice having friends in high places,” the caller jokes.

“Friends in… Um, when is the first rehearsal?” your mind is spinning trying to figure out who on earth the caller was referring. Friends? Portia, maybe? But that doesn’t account for the other person if that’s true. And furthermore Portia was a personal assistant, she wasn’t an actor. 

“We’ll be doing a table reading with all the major cast members tomorrow--” the caller continues to give you information. You find a notebook in the back that you start to write down what’s being said.

Thoughts continue to swirl in your head. You made it. You got the role. However, you realize you still have no idea what the production is about. Is it a movie? Is it a short film? A television show? If they have Asra in a role, does that mean other stars will also be on the cast? The thought makes your heart skip a beat.

Were you even ready for this?

\-----------------------------

The next day…

Okay. Now you’re even more nervous than you were for the audition. Instead of a warehouse, the table reading was located in a local office building. You supposed that was slightly better. Two familiar figures come into view as you pull your car in. It’s the two security guards from before. They wave you over after you finish parking.

“Hello…” you say as you approach them.

“Welcome Y/N. We were told to expect you,” one of the guards say.

“Oh. Okay” you say, “Are you guys going to be everywhere during this production?”

“We go wherever our security team is needed. You’ll most likely see us around often,” one of the guards answers politely.

You nod. Well, you supposed it was now or never. You walk past them and into the building. You swallow as you follow signs to the conference room where the meeting place is supposed to be. You would be working with Asra again. It was still kind of surreal. He was a real celebrity and this was going to be the first major thing you’d ever been in. Your startled out of your thoughts as you accidentally run into someone.

“Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry…” your eyes widen as you say this after noticing just who you ran into.

“That’s quite alright,” the woman you’d run into replies. You take in her warm brown skin, red eyes, and long purple hair that fades into a cooler violet. She’s absolutely gorgeous and dressed so much more elegantly than you. You feel yourself shrink slightly in her presence. 

“You’re… Nadia Satrinava,” dribbles out of your mouth before you can stop yourself.

“Indeed I am,” she responds, “And you are?”

Before you can speak, a familiar figure whirls around the corner. The red-head seems to adjust a file folder under her arm as she holds a coffee cup in her other hand. The arm holding the coffee cup is bunched up at her shoulder as she balances a phone she’s talking into. She says good to whoever’s on the other line and takes the phone off her shoulder with her free hand to pocket it.

“Sorry about that Ms. Satrinava. I was just confirming your massage appointment for Tuesday. I set up another appointment with your personal trainer.The groceries I ordered will be arriving at the house later this afternoon. I’ll pick up your dry-cleaning in two hours. And… Y/N?” Portia stops as she finally takes notice of you.

“Hi…” you say as you finally realize just who Portia works for.  
“Oh. So you’re the one that Portia told me about. Congratulations on making the role of the magician’s apprentice. I’m sure it will be a pleasure working with you,” Nadia said as she eyed you.  
Portia kind of looks as dumbstruck as you do. You guess she hadn’t been made aware of your successful audition yet.

“Thank-you?” you reply. 

You’d be working with Asra Alnazar and Nadia Satrinava? You feel like you’ve entered the twilight zone. One was a teen heartthrob and the other was essentially Hollywood royalty. The Satrinavas’ were the classic Hollywood family. Nadia’s parents, Nasrin and Namar, were legendary. Not only had her parents made it on the big screen, but they had started out on the stage. All their children had branched off to other careers with the exception of a few. Nadia was one of their daughters that had taken up the legacy.

“Shall we head in?” Nadia asks as she gestures down the hall to one of the office doors. All you can do is nod in agreement. You don’t think you should try speaking again until you have a script in your hand. At least then you’ll know what to say.

Portia gives you a look as you walk by her. You return the look as if to say ‘we’re totally going to talk after this’. Nadia opens the office door and a chorus of voices can be heard inside. Someone has apparently told a joke of some kind as raucous laughter pours into the hall. As soon as Nadia enters the room the laughter dies down a little. You follow suit.

“Oh please. Don’t stop on my account,” Nadia says with a twinkle in her eye.

Once the others in the room come into view, you feel your heart drop into your stomach. At the rate these surprises are going, you might die of a heart attack before the end of the week. You are absolutely starstruck tenfold. In the room stood the current ‘gods’ of Hollywood. You were starting to feel like a mouse amongst giants. 

Asra waved at you with a friendly smile as you walked fully into the room. A fair-skinned man with blond hair and silver eyes moves from his place at the head of the conference table to wander over to his ex-wife, Nadia. The man is Lucio Capra. He built his career from the ground up. And if any of the rumors are true, he didn’t climb the ladder without making a few enemies along the way. His diva attitude was almost as legendary as he was. His marriage with Nadia had ended a few years earlier. To the outside world the divorce seemed rather amicable.

Meanwhile ‘the’ Julian Davorak looks over at you as he moves one of his feet down off one of the conference chairs. He’d apparently been posed there with one of his legs up. A wide grin spreads across his face. This tall, gangly man with curly auburn hair. His grey eyes meet yours. Julian was definitely a roguish character. Or at least he often played a roguish character, when he hadn’t been filming for his medical television series as the doctor who just won’t play by the rules.

Another figure you didn’t recognize at first is hunched over in a chair in the corner staring down at his phone. Whoever he was, he was absolutely huge. His black hair has been haphazardly cut short and falls into his green eyes. A bit of stubble gave him the perfect five o’clock shadow. You can also see the lines of his muscles through his tight-fitting t-shirt. Talk about a brick house.

“Noddy!” Lucio says while gesturing his arms out wide.

“Hello Lucio,” Nadia responds.

“And who is this?” Lucio asks as his attention turns to you. He eyes you up and down before looking back up to meet your gaze. You don’t know what your face looks like at that moment but you can feel heat rising on your cheeks. This reaction seems to please Lucio for some reason, “I’m a lot to take in, aren’t I?”

“Behave yourself” Nadia chides him before continuing, “This is Y/N. Our magician’s apprentice,”

“Yes. That’s right,” you say, finally finding your voice again.

“Oh. Excellent! Everyone’s here then. Let’s get started. I’ll start off with my brilliant idea that led to this day,” Lucio says.


	3. Lucio's Magnum Opus

Everyone is now settled around the conference table. You’ve somehow found yourself wedged between Julian and Asra. You try not to become a puddle on the floor. You pray your face doesn’t show just how much this affects you.

Meanwhile Lucio has been doing his best to create anticipation for his big reveal. His efforts seem to be somewhat ineffective. From what you can tell; Nadia seems bored, the large muscled man is still on his phone, Julian keeps sneaking you glances, and Asra just sighs. Lucio loudly clears his throat and stands up from his chair. He makes some wide grand gestures with his arms before beginning.

“Picture it. ‘Faust’ meets ‘Game of Thrones’. the most ambitious undertaking of our time…” Lucio is interrupted by Nadia.

“I’m surprised you came up with something Faustian in nature,” she comments.

“Who makes a deal with the devil?” Julian asks.

“Well, my character, the count, makes a deal with the devil…” Lucio continues, undeterred from the interupptions.

“You would make a deal with the devil,” Asra chimes in. The other man in the room, whom you’re still not certain of their identity, seems to let out a small chuckle under his breath. You’re taken aback by Asra’s snide remark. It seemed so out of character from what you knew of him. But then again, did you truly know anything about the people in the room?

  
“I’m talking! Will you let me finish?” Lucio says pointedly, clearly a bit frustrated now, “Yes. My character makes a deal with the devil. This leads to a series of events that come from the fact the deal goes wrong. Murder, mystery, romance… It has it all. Each of us has a major role in the story, because each of us make a deal,”

“We all make a deal with the devil?” you ask curiously.

“Ah. I was hoping someone would ask that question. I’m so happy it was you,” Lucio practically purrs, “No. In fact, this is where the arcana comes in. Each of us makes a deal with the major arcana of a tarot deck. That is… everyone but the magician’s apprentice. This plays into the story”.

Everyone is quiet for a moment. You’re still trying to take in the reaction you got from asking a question. Was Lucio flirting with you? Or are you imagining it? Maybe it was just his excitement that led to the reaction? Your attention turns as the others begin to speak.

“I’m surprised. It sounds like you have a fairly solid concept,” Nadia says.

“Is there a reason you asked us to fill these roles?” Asra asks.

“We’ve all known each other for so long. When I was coming up with this idea with my writers, I imagined all of you in these selected roles. Plus the added allure of an all-star cast. I can see the awards heading our way already,” Lucio replies.

You know he isn’t talking about you, but you’re surprised he seems to have known everyone for a long time. As far as the media is concerned with, the only ones with previous interactions are Nadia and Lucio. However, Hollywood is a small place.

“Are we going to read?” the muscled man finally speaks up.

“Hmmmm?” Lucio says, “Does the ‘scourge of the south’ finally have something to say?”

A light bulb goes off in your head. Oh. That’s who he was. He looked so different in normal everyday clothes rather than his professional wrestling gear. It’s why it took you so long to pinpoint who he was. This was Muriel Orso or as he was otherwise known ‘the scourge of the south’.

“I asked if we’re actually going to get to the table reading today?” Muriel asks softly.

“Anxious are we?” Lucio says with a grin, “I suppose we should start.”

Everyone settles again. You all pick a script and begin to read over it. This would be for the pilot episode. You grow nervous again. Were you ready for this? Were you really good enough to be acting with these other people?

The room grows quiet as you all flip through pages. Asra has leaned over the table with his chin resting on one of his hands. His lips are slightly parted as his eyes dart over the page. He’s even more handsome this close up. Julian is leaning back with one of his arms slung over the back of his chair. His auburn hair falling in front of one of his eyes as he reads. One of his brows seems to lift up at something he reads. A half smile brightens his face. Your heart flutters.

You shake your head. You’ve got to focus. No more distractions. You feel a foot graze against your leg. You stifle a tiny squeak in your throat. Nadia meets your eyes. She mouths ‘sorry’ before continuing to read. Oh god. You really will die from a heart attack this week. There’s no question about it.

As time goes by, you begin to realize you’ll be interacting with all the characters in the first episode in some way. For a secondary role, the magician’s apprentice seems to get a lot of screentime. Or at least that’s what this script seems to imply. Since it hasn’t really been said, you make assumptions of who has what role.

Asra is most likely the magician from what you can tell from the audition. Lucio revealed he would be playing the count. Obviously, Nadia was the countess. You imagined Muriel would be playing the gladiator part. This left Julian with the role of the plague doctor. And from what the script revealed, he was also the count’s murderer?

“Interesting…” you mutter under your breath.

“Something caught your fancy? I know this script is pure gold,” Lucio says.

“Oh…” you’re at a loss of words as Lucio watches you attentively, “I was… I was just noticing that the apprentice seems to be in a lot of the pilot”

“Of course. The apprentice plays a key role in the magician’s deal. You’re an important plot device,” Lucio hums.

You feel yourself go numb. A plot device? You were a plot device. Why did that revelation hurt somehow? You suppose it has to do with not being a major character. You try to shake off the feeling. Plot device or not, this role would open more doors for you. Or so you hope.

“That makes sense,” you say softly.

“Well, I’m glad. Shall we run through it once or twice, everyone?”


	4. Confidence is Key

You are exhausted. You’re just absolutely emotionally drained. It was a lot of work trying to act out a script confidently amongst the ‘gods of hollywood’. You worked hard to give your absolute best performance for the reading. You wanted them to know or at least think you have what it takes to act with them. A tap on your shoulder takes you out of your internal dread.

“You worked really hard today. You did a good job,” Asra says.

You have the distinct feeling of butterflies in your stomach. Your face begins to flush at his kind words. You imagine you could get through any day with a confidence boost from Asra. God. You need to come back to reality. You start to give your thanks when another voice chimes in.

“He’s right. You have so much enthusiasm. Just where have you been hiding? I made the right choice requesting you for the role” Julian remarks. 

Your brain whirs.

“You requested me?” you say barely above a whisper. Why the hell would he do that? You mean you’re grateful, but holy shit, “Why?”

“Ah. A… friend of mine suggested you’d be good for the role,” Julied replies with a small smirk.

“Well, thank your friend for me Ily...lian.” Julian gives Asra a look as he seems to stumble over the other man’s name. Asra then returns his attention to you with another one of his charming smiles, “ I’m happy to be working with you, Y/N.” 

“I am too…” you say almost breathlessly. Asra nods his head before gathering his things to leave. Julian is still standing there hovering over your chair. He watches Asra leave with a thoughtful expression. After a moment, Julian notices your eyes on him.

“Something on my face?” he asks teasingly.

“No… just. I guess I’m happy to be working with you guys too,” you say, fighting down the blush trying to worm its way onto your cheeks. You are pretty sure you’re failing spectacularly at the task. Julian’s trademark grin grows wider.

“That’s what I like to hear. Well, I’m in the mood for a large black coffee. This is where I bid you farewell,” Julian says. He gathers his coat from his chair and struts out the door.

Wow. You wish you had that kind of confidence. Or that ass. God. Julian had a great ass. You’d pay as much money as you had to just watch him walk away from you. You shake your head and blink. Okay. You’re officially loopy from exhaustion. That black coffee Julian mentioned sounded pretty good right now.

Once you come back to your senses, it seems as if everyone has already left the room with the exception of Muriel. You give the man a shy wave that he returns silently. From your experience during the reading and from how he was normally portrayed in the media, you could tell that Muriel wasn’t much of a talker. You thought that was fine. It was very different from Lucio, who seemed to like to talk just to hear his own voice. You let out a small giggle at the thought.

“Funny?” Muriel says as he looks at you in mild confusion.

“Oh. No. I was just… I was thinking about a joke I heard recently,” you say completely embarrassed.

“Okay…” Muriel says.

Abort.

Abort mission.

Get out of there you idiot.

“Bye!” you say quickly as you abscond out of the room as fast as possible.

You think you’ve made a rather clean escape until you run into Nadia. Again. She seemed to have been waiting just right outside the door. You feel your heart fall into your stomach. Nadia was probably going to hate you after this. You’ve got to stop running into the poor woman.

“I’m so so sorry,” you say as the feeling of nausea hits you.

“I agree. We’ve got to stop meeting this way,” Nadia says with a light laugh.

“Oh,” is all you can manage to say in return. You’re taken aback by Nadia’s reaction. You’d always pictured her as this serious imposing force. She certainly kept up appearances in the media, but maybe that’s all it was. Maybe she just wore a mask in the public eye. She wouldn’t be the first or last person to do so.

“Portia!” Nadia says a little louder to catch the red-head’s attention. Your eyes look around to find the other woman. Portia seems to be in a heated discussion with… Julian? Once Portia notices you and Nadia, she stops the discussion and rushes over.

“Yes, Ms. Satrinava?” Portia asks, she seems somewhat out of breath.

“Find a spot in my schedule for brunch with Y/N. I’d like to get to know my co-star a little better,” Nadia says as she eyes you from the corner of her eye.

“Oh. You don’t have to…” you start, but Nadia stops you.

“I insist. My personal chef will make us an amazing selection of foods for our brunch. Just inform Portia of any allergies you may have or dietary restrictions. I want you to have an enjoyable time at my home,” Nadia says simply.

“Your home?” you say with wide eyes.

“Of course. Oh Portia that reminds me. Book a private driver to take Y/N to my home,” Nadia continues. Portia has been taking notes in a little notepad she whipped out from nowhere. The red-head nods to every word Nadia says.  
“Yes, ma’am” Portia replies.

“Excellent. Good-bye Y/N. Until we meet again?” Nadia says with a parting smile.

This day has been something else. You’re surprised you're still standing. It had been hit after hit of surprises all day. Your attention turns to Portia, who is still jotting down a few more notes. You clear your throat to catch her attention. She looks up to meet your eyes.

“What the hell, Portia?” is all you can manage.

“What?” Portia says, her blue eyes widening slightly.

“You’re Nadia Satrinava’s personal assistant? You somehow got me into this crazy role. I’m working with real celebrities. I’m thankful, don’t get me wrong, but oh my god. How did you manage this?” you ask incredulously. 

“I really didn’t do anything! It just happened that way. I knew about the auditions. I mentioned to Ms. Satrinava that you were interested in a role. I also told my… I told someone else working in the production. I just wanted to help get your foot in the door. Otherwise this is all just you. You’re the one that made it,” Portia replies.

“I did it?” you say in disbelief.

“Yeah. I’m just a personal assistant. I can make suggestions and things, but it doesn’t come down to me. I thought you might have gotten one of the roles as a background character at the least. I’m just as surprised as you. You really are amazing,” Portia says with a delighted smile.

“I’m amazing?” you repeat.

“I’ve always thought you were,” Portia says with a light blush dusting her cheeks.

You’re good? You’re enthusiastic? You’re amazing? The compliments from today fill you up to the brim. You’ve never felt this way before. It’s overwhelming. This whole day has been overwhelming, but in a good way?

“You’re pretty amazing too,” you reply to Portia with your own smile shining through now.


	5. Peace, Love & Dogs

After on and off conversations for three years, you finally got Portia’s number. True, it was only for contact information purposes, but it was worth it. She deserved all your praises for what she did for you. You’re still wrapping your head around being a part of this huge project with actual celebrities!

When you had told your aunt who you would be working with, she burst with excitement. She then bombarded you with numerous questions. How were they like? Were they as beautiful as they appeared in the movies and on tv? Could you get your aunt an autograph from ‘Dr. Sexy’ for her? The last request had made you laugh.

Then you mentioned your scheduled brunch with Nadia. Your aunt practically died. Hell, you practically died the moment it happened. She then had gone around you tutting and mumbling to herself. You needed new clothes. Maybe you needed a new haircut. You had pointed out your lack of funds for such things. Your aunt proceeded to rectify this by giving you an advance on your pay for the cafe. She had winked and said that you’d pay her back in time, once you were famous too.

You felt bad about taking her money, but she insisted. You’d been waiting for your big break for so long, but now you were starting to feel so overwhelmed. Things were changing so rapidly. You were practically being thrust into the limelight of Hollywood at lightning speed. You really needed to clear your head before brunch with Nadia tomorrow.

“I’m headed to the park…” is all you say to your aunt as you leave the cafe.

You loved being out in nature on occasion. It was a great change of pace then being stuck so close to the city. It was literally a breath of fresh air whenever you went to the park. You did your best to avoid other people while there. You tended to go on less traveled trails. This way you could be alone with your thoughts.

You exit your car after finding a spot to park. You reach in to grab your phone and a set of headphones. You pop an earpiece into each ear while also scrolling through your phone for the perfect playlist. Once you find it, you press play and go on your way.

Music filters into your ears as your foot hits gravel. You lived for moments like this. You just empty your mind completely and look up to the sky before closing your eyes. You breathe in deeply and let the breath out slowly. This is exactly what you needed. You feel at peace.

Loud barking disturbs this peace.

You sigh as you reopen your eyes. Two large white dogs are barreling along in your direction. They appear to be off-leash with no owner in sight. You take out your ear buds and slip them into your pocket along with your phone. Maybe the dogs are lost? They look far too well cared for to be strays.

“Here doggies!” you shout at them. Both dogs’ ears perk up at your call. They begin to rush over to you with new vigor. Once they’re close enough to you, they start to slow down. One of the dogs appears larger than the other. This dog also seems to have a notch of their ear missing.

You cautiously offer your hand to the dogs to smell. Each takes a turn in sniffing you heavily. Their tongues loll out as they make happy little whines. One of the dogs takes the opportunity to nudge its head under your hand to pet. You happily oblige the dog. Their fur is incredibly soft. Soon the other dog also demands pets.

You look up again momentarily to check for an owner. Your eyes scan the general area, but you still can’t see anyone else on the path or nearby. You must have paused in your petting too long as both dogs make another whining sound. You return to petting both dogs, using both hands now. You also start leaning down on your knees to be at their height. Your hands work around their fur until you find a tag of some kind.

“Here we go…” you say as you pull one of the dogs’ tags forward. Unfortunately, all the tag has is a large gold engraved ‘M’ on it, “Well that’s not helpful at all”

“Mercedes! Melchior!” a sudden and familiar voice shouts from in the distance.

Both dogs turn their heads to the voice, but seem too comfortable to move from their spots. You pause and wonder if your mind is just playing tricks on you. Another shout fills the air, calling the same names again. No, no mind tricks. You definitely recognized the voice.

“Over here!” you return the call.

Just then, you can see the top of Lucio’s head breach over the hilltop. The dogs both stand up, but don’t make any moves past that. Both of their tails are wagging vigorously. More of Lucio’s body comes into view as he hurriedly makes his way over to you and the dogs. He begins to slow his pace as recognition shows in his eyes. Then a wide side grin comes to his face.

“Ooooooh hello hello hello, what do we have here. You know... there was no need to kidnap my dogs’ if you wanted to see me,” Lucio says.

You find yourself unsure how to respond. Your mouth feels dry. You simply look back down at the dogs and begin to pet them again. You figure it was better to say nothing than to say something stupid. You can feel heat from your cheeks go all the way down to your neck. Your silence is met with a light chuckle from Lucio as he sits himself across from you.

“Come to daddy, you two…” Lucio says fondly. Both dogs finally make a move to Lucio. He begins to pet them lovingly as they clamber around him. You find yourself with a small smile coming to your lips as you watch the interaction.

“They’re really nice dogs,” you comment politely. 

“They’re the best dogs. Pure-bred Borzoi, I’ve had them for a couple years now. I’m a little surprised though…” Lucio says as he begins to give a good scratch under one of the dog’s chins.

“What’s surprising?” you ask.

“They don’t normally like anyone but me,” he replies as he looks up at you. A breath catches in your throat as your eyes meet. Something feels different now. You can’t put your finger on what it is though.

“Not even Nadia?’ you find yourself saying.

“No… not even Noddy” Lucio answers as his eyes turn downcast, “she found them too rambunctious and disobedient for her liking”.

You’re both quiet after that. Whatever moment you two had was lost. Perhaps you shouldn’t have brought up his ex-wife. You kick yourself mentally. Your attention turns to Lucio again as he lets out a long sigh. Then Lucio moves his hands from petting his dogs to stretching them into the air. Afterwards he just lies back into the grass.

“What are you doing?” you ask curiously as you watch him.

“Relaxing…” he says simply. 

You're not sure what to do as you gaze at him. He moves his arms to rest underneath his head. The dogs walk around him a moment before plopping down. Lucio slowly closes his eyes and breathes in deeply. You feel your heart pick up speed. This was so surreal. It felt like you were watching something forbidden. This Lucio was very different from the image you had made of him in your mind.

“You know that was what I was trying to do before your dogs arrived,” you comment lightly.

“Hmmmmm… then why don’t you join me?” Lucio asks.

“What?” you say, unsure if you heard correctly.

“Join me,” Lucio says again, cracking an eye open.

You hesitate for a moment before situating yourself beside him and the dogs. You slowly lay down until your back meets the grass. You focus on breathing slowly in and out. As your body relaxes, you close your eyes. You weren’t sure how a situation could be so bizarre and relaxing at the same time, but this was it.

Quiet falls onto the scene again. All you can hear is both of your slow steady breaths. You weren’t one to normally lay in the grass. You don’t think you’ve done anything like it since you were a child. Those were simpler times for both of you, you supposed. You don’t know much about Lucio’s childhood. He never really talked about it in the media. 

Countless minutes pass by in silence before you open your eyes again. You turn your head to look over at Lucio. Your chest seizes when your eyes meet. He had been looking at you too. You wondered for how long as a bright blush came to your face. You slowly sit-up and Lucio seems to follow your movements.

“Hello…” is all you can manage to say.

“Hello,” Lucio replies, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Lucio moves to stand up. He starts brushing off grass and leaves from his clothing. His dogs quickly get up to join him. After a moment, Lucio leans over to offer you a hand. You accept it. He pulls you up and forward. It takes you a moment to find your footing. Once you do, you meet Lucio’s eyes again. You bite your lip.

“That was… nice,” you say.

“It was nice, but I think it’s time for me to go. My bodyguards are probably having a heart attack looking for me,” Lucio says, amusement in his voice.

“Bodyguards?” you ask.

“Yes. Did you think I came here alone? I try to come to this place every once and a while to unwind. These less traveled parts are a great escape from the paparazzi. Mercedes and Melchoir love the wide open spaces to run. My house is grand and large enough for them to run around, but they prefer the outdoors,” Lucio replies, a bit of his personality you're more familiar with coming back out.

“That makes sense,” you say.

“I’ll see you at the costume fitting this Friday, Y/N” he says before walking off into the distance with his two dogs bounding after him.

He remembered your name...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope my portrayal of Lucio was alright. I tried to make sure that he wasn't too OOC. Please let me know what you think of the story so far! <3


	6. Tea with the Queen

After your time in the park yesterday, you weren’t able to go buy any new clothes. So here you were riding in a limo of all things wearing a t-shirt and jeans. You felt so underdressed for meeting Nadia Satrinava, it wasn’t even funny. You know the driver is secretly judging you. He has to be…

“We’ll be arriving soon,” the driver comments from the front.

You look to see him eyeing you through the front rearview mirror. Yeah, he was definitely judging you. You sigh as you sink into the plush seats. To say you weren’t nervous would be a lie. However, your curiosity over why Nadia would bother inviting you to brunch outweighed that at the moment. 

The other day she hinted at wanting to get to know you as a fellow cast member. But was that true? You were still a nobody in terms of Hollywood at the moment. Cast member or not, why would she want to hang out with you? Another sigh escapes your lips. Your train of thought was starting to become depressing.

You smack both your cheeks lightly in an attempt to psych yourself up again. It was a tactic you had developed over the years when you were feeling down. You’re not sure if it ever actually worked or not, but you did tend to feel a tiny bit better afterwards. You ignore any look the driver may be giving you as the limo pulls up to the house.

The driver parks the car and then comes out to open the door for you. You step out and thank the driver for his service. When you look up to the front door of the house, Nadia is there watching you. She gives a light wave and beckons you towards her.

  
  


You swallow the lump in your throat. Well, it was now or never. You put a smile on your face as you wander over to Nadia. She smiles in return. That was a good sign. Nadia opens her front door to guide you in.

“Welcome to my home,” Nadia says politely.

“Thank-you for inviting me,” you reply.

You both enter the house together. You take in the look of everything. Nadia seems to have gone with a somewhat minimalist approach for her decor. The furniture is functional and very geometric in shape. The only break from a traditional minimalistic decor were the stunning stained glass windows of light purples, blues, and yellows. The sunlight shines through them, giving off a dazzling array of colors. 

“I see you’ve dressed very...comfortably,” Nadia comments.

“Yeah…” you reply with a blush.

“I find it quite refreshing,” Nadia says.

“You do?” you say somewhat surprised.

“Most people would try to impress me somehow,” Nadia says.

You say nothing in response, but your blush grows. You don’t really have the heart to say the only reason you aren’t dressed nice is because you didn’t have time to buy new clothes. Oh god. Or the added fact that the reason for that was because you were too busy hanging out with her ex-husband. You’re pretty sure that wouldn’t go over well.

Your eyes widen as you finally take in ‘Brunch’. On the dining room table sits a n unbelievable spread. There is a variety of soft and hard cheeses _ , _ hummus, fresh olives, pickled vegetables, and  _ ful medames  _ (cooked fava beans) to the basic ﬂatbread and olive oil,  _ shakshuka _ (eggs poached in tomato sauce) with semolina cakes, coffee, fresh-pressed juices, and sweet mint tea. You’ve never seen so much food in one place in your life.

“There’s so much…” you say in awe.

“Ah. Yes…” Nadia says with her own flush now, “I asked the chef to go with a mediterranean twist. I figured there would be something here you can hopefully enjoy”.

“No… this is great! It’s wonderful. Just wow…” is all you can say.

Nadia seems pleased by your response. She sits herself down by the table. Even watching her do mundane things like that seemed so elegant. Nadia was definitely on a whole different level than the everyday person. You also get situated and grab a plate to begin to pick at the various offerings. You start to get slightly nervous as Nadia keeps her gaze on you.

You choose one of the poached eggs dishes. You slowly cut into the egg with a fork and take a bite. It’s absolutely delicious. The rich flavors of garlic, roasted tomatoes,  paprika, cumin and chili powder, and the delicate addition of cilantro were melding together beautifully. Is it possible to orgasm from good food?

“Do you like it?” Nadia asks, looking at you expectantly.

“It’s really really good,” you say earnestly.

“Wonderful. Shall I give my compliments to the chef?” she says.

“Oh. Um...of course,” you respond.

“And did you apply for the role before or after you found out about Portia’s connections?” Nadia suddenly asks. You’re taken aback by the question. You meet Nadia’s eyes. Her face has turned serious. You struggle for words a moment.

“C-connections? You mean like how she works for you? I honestly h-had no idea. I was s-shocked. I uh… Portia never revealed who she worked for. She’s not in trouble because of me? Is she?” you reply.

“No. She’s not in trouble. And neither are you…” Nadia says with a sigh, “I apologize for startling you. I just needed to check for my peace of mind”.

“Check?” you ask, your heart still beating quickly from the sudden anxiety attack you just had.

“Sometimes it’s hard in this kind of world figuring out who's truthful and who’s not. I got tired of people lying to my face in order to get something from me. And Portia has been a lifesaver for me these past few years. She’s an honest and hard worker and I don’t want anyone taking advantage of her either,” Nadia explains.

“I would never do that. I’m not that kind of person,” you say softly.

“No. I don’t think you are…” Nadia says.

You both fall into an awkward quiet. You’ve also lost any appetite you had. Nadia seems unsure of how to continue. To be fair, neither do you. You scramble your mind for anything to break the new found tension. Your eyes dart around the room until they land on Nadia’s various awards on the wall.

“Tell me about your rewards?” you try. Nadia looks at you as her lip trembles slightly. Then she starts laughing out loud, “What?”

“You’re just so... You’re charming. Thank-you for trying to fix my social faux pas,” Nadia says with a small smile.

“Um...you’re welcome?” you say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why this chapter was so hard to write. I think it has to do with trying to slow down the romance between all the characters. I don't know. I hope it was alright. Please, let me know what you think.


	7. Wardrobe Malfunction

After the awkward interlude from the day before, the rest of the visit went off without a hitch. You got to find out a lot more about Nadia. She even showed you little trinkets she’d made. Her hobby was making little clockwork figures and puzzle boxes. Apparently she had thought about getting some sort of engineering degree when she was younger. However, her reason for not going into engineering was rather admirable.

Nadia had given up her younger dreams to help others. She thought she could use her influence as an actress to support those in need. You were already aware of her many charitable donations and fundraisers. This personal knowledge made it even more endearing. Nadia was even more amazing than you first thought.

You also found out Nadia has an affinity for owls. There were little owl motifs hidden around the decor of her home. When you mentioned it, she explained she’d always loved owls since she was a kid. She found them elegant and almost mystical birds of prey. As a teenager she grew to love them even more after finding out owls are affiliated with Athena, goddess of wisdom. 

Before you left, Nadia said she would love for you to come over again. She also teased that she would help you find some new clothes that better suited you. You had blushed at the implication that someone as grand as you deserved finer clothes.

Now it was finally Friday and it was time for the costume fitting. You are headed to one of the largest costume warehouses that L.A. had. Some of the costumes would be specially made, but the majority of which would be an amalgamation of other past costumes. It wasn’t uncommon in the filming and television industry to reuse props and costumes if possible.

The same guards from before were there to greet you. You stepped inside and were somewhat overwhelmed by row to row and wall to wall costumes. For whatever reason the thought of how many mothballs it would take to keep this place from being overrun comes to mind. You hear shuffling and words being exchanged before an imposing figure emerges from behind a curtain.

“No. I will not,” are their curt words to whoever else is behind the curtain.

“Uh, Hi Muriel?” you say as you take in the others' costumes. Or lack of costume? There was just some furry loincloth keeping him decent. 

Muriel says nothing in return. He looks mortified as a blush comes to his face. His toned body is on display for the whole world to see. You can see the full expanse of his chest. Tiny hairs pooling on his chest before leaving a thin treasure trail to the top of the loin cloth. You fill your own blush forming.

“The costume designers said they could add some grey pants…” Asra’s voice comes through the curtain before coming out.

“I don’t like it,” Muriel mumbles as he looks away from you. Asra seems to sigh before taking notice of you. A small smile comes to his face as he walks over.

“Good morning, Y/N” Asra says.

“Good morning,” you reply shyly. 

“Muriel isn’t really pleased with his outfit choice at the moment,” Asra says as he looks at the other.

“What outfit?” Muriel says in response. Asra lets out a light laugh that warms you up at the sound of it. Muriel doesn’t seem as amused but there is a small hint of a smile on his face.

“I have to agree with Muriel. Not much is left to the imagination,” you comment candidly. The blush comes to Muriel’s face full force at your words.

“Oh. It gets better. This is the costume without the added collar,” Asra says with a mischievous grin.

“Stop it,” Muriel pleads with Asra.

You ponder at the close relationship the two seem to have. A former teen heartthrob and professional wrestler? How did they manage to form this close friendship? One where they could joke around with each other so openly. You hoped someday you could also form a similar relationship with your castmates. 

“You guys seem to get along really well,” you say.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids,” Asra says.

“Really?” you say, somewhat surprised.

“Yes,” Muriel replies simply.

“That’s great you guys have stayed in contact for so long,” you say. Both of them grow quiet at the comment. Did you say something wrong? Your stomach starts to turn, but Asra seems to try to lighten the mood again with a smile and change of subject.

“I think the person taking measurements is this way,” Asra says as he takes your arm. You flush at the touch as he leads you towards another part of the building.

Asra’s touch is light and soft. You relish the feeling. The touch is neither romantic nor sexual, but it still feels good. Did that make you weird? Were you weird? Sometimes maybe people just needed a nice platonic touch. Nah, you’re totally weird…

A woman comes into view. She has various swaths of fabric and measuring tape around her neck. And she happens to look startlingly like Asra… Her long white hair was held up in a messy bun, but also covered in a headscarf. Her rich brown skin seems to glow in the bright colorful clothing she wears. She smiles over at you both.

“Hi Asra, who is this?” the woman says.

“Mother, this is Y/N. They need to be fitted for their costumes,” Asra replies.

“Mother?” you ask.

“Yes, I’m Aisha Alnazar. It’s nice to meet you Y/N,” she says holding out a hand. You move from Asra’s hold to take his mother’s hand. Well, it really is never a dull day in the limelight, huh? Asra gives a wave before heading back in the direction you guys came from.

“I’m heading back to Muriel to convince him not to quit because of his costume…” Asra says with a laugh.

You smile as you watch him go. Everything about Asra was just...warm. Aisha brings you back to reality as she guides you closer to her. She eyes you up and down before pulling off one of the tape measures off from around her neck. She then pulls out a tiny notebook from her pocket and a small golf pencil.

“I’ve been doing this for so long I could possibly guess your size, but let’s not leave it up to chance,” Aisha says in a joking tone. She seems to give off the same warmth that Asra does. Maybe it was a family thing?

“So Asra acts and you do costuming?” you ask curiously as Aisha makes you stretch your arms out.

“My husband and I have been in the business long before Asra started acting,” Aisha replies.

“Oh. So the whole family is in the industry?” you say.

“Salim and I tend to be in the background. Asra is the only one in the spotlight,” Aisha says with a smile.

She continues to take your measurements after that. From neck to bust to waist and hips, she goes down your body. Aisha takes to her task silently, but her calming aura doesn’t make it awkward. You feel yourself becoming very relaxed. It’s the second most relaxed you’ve been since the time all of this started. After a while, Aisha taps your shoulder. You open your eyes again. You hadn’t even realized you had closed them.

“Are we done?” you ask.

“Yes. And I already have some ideas based on the color palette I was given for your character,” Aisha says, “I”ll be right back”.

You nod as you watch her wander off into the practical forest of clothing. You can’t imagine how someone can know where something is in all of this. It was definitely an impressive skill. Your eyes wander to the costume pieces closest to you. 

Sequins galore! You wondered how long it took the person who originally made this outfit. The upkeep for it was probably nightmarish too. You hands move over some of the other costumes. History was in your hands. Some good. Some bad. All Hollywood.

“This jacket gave me a devil of a time. Why are there so many buttons? I think I might need help with this…” Julian pauses after emerging from the clothing forest, “Well, Hello there”

“Hi. Well uh… Aisha just wandered off,” you say as you study Julian’s outfit.

He is wearing a white dress-shirt tucked into his pants. The long sleeves of his top end in black leather, elbow-length gloves. A dark navy waistband with two tassels separates the top from tight pants that end in knee-high boots. A gray-colored addition to the outfit appears to be swung over his shoulder.

“What do you think?” Julian asks you as he strikes a pose with a brow raised up suggestively. You’re at a loss of words for a second. You swallow before giving your answer. 

“Honestly? At first glance I thought you were dressed like Jareth,” you say with a blush.

“Jareth?” Julian parrots.

“You know like from ‘The Labyrinth’? The goblin king?” you say.

“Oh. David Bowie? I love David Bowie. And I must say...that’s quite a compliment,” Julian says with a smirk before looking down his front.

“Oh. God. No. No. Not like that…” you stutter, absolutely mortified. 

“Don’t worry. Only teasing. Actually, can I ask you a favor?” Julian says.

“A favor?” you say as you try to keep your raging blush down.

“I was having trouble getting this part of my outfit on. I think I could use an extra pair of hands,” Julian says as he takes the part of his outfit off from his shoulder.

“Oh. Sure…” you say, your heart still beating fast as you walk over.

Julian opens up the piece. It looks like a jacket of some kind. You see the set of buttons that Julian mentioned earlier. This was incredibly confusing. You both determine that perhaps if you slid the jacket over his shoulders that you can work from there. You smooth out the shoulders and then start on the buttons. Julian’s hand grazes over yours as you both try to button him up.

You hadn’t realized just how close you two were until you looked up. Your faces were almost touching. Julian’s grey eyes feel like they’re staring into your soul. A breath catches in your throat. Julian lets out a light laugh that tickles your lips. You step back hurriedly, almost tripping over yourself.

“I think we got it,” Julian says as he straightens out the howie-style coat.

“Yeah…” you say. Your heart was pounding before, but now it was going so fast you felt like it might just stop.

“I need to thank you somehow,” Julian says as he pulls one of his gloves on more tightly.

“Thank me?” you say dazedly.

“Let’s go out on the town after the fitting today, my treat,” Julian says with a dashing smile.

Out on the town? With Dr. Sexy?


	8. L.A. Adventure

Despite meeting most of the cast at the costume fitting, you had not met with Lucio and Nadia today. Julian emerged from the curtain in his everyday clothes. He shot a charming smile as he walked over. Both of you would be in your car as Julian had apparently been driven over.

Julian was going to be in your car, your shitty car. Not only that, but you would also be spending the rest of the day with him. You were still having heart palpitations from earlier when your faces had been so close. Who knew what the rest of the day would bring?

“Hungry? I’m starving,” Julian says.

“Yeah. I could do lunch,” you say.

“Are you adventurous?” Julian asks with a wriggle of his eyebrows.

“Uh… I guess?” you reply.

“Excellent! I have a couple places in town that you have to try,” Julian says excitedly as he opens the passenger side door.

You open up your door to sit in the car. As you sit down in your seat, your mind goes in multiple directions. This kind of felt like some bizarre dream. As you buckled yourself in, you turned your head to watch Julian do the same. When he looks up, he notices your gaze on him.

“Something on my face?” he asks with a smirk.

“No, it’s just… won’t people recognize you?” you say.

“Ah. That’s why I have my disguise,” Julian says dramatically before pulling out a pair of round-framed sunglasses.

“Sunglasses? Is that it?” you ask. Julian bites his lip before looking around the car. He spots a discarded baseball cap in your backseat. He grabs it and puts it on. Straightening the cap on his head, he turns to you again.

“Well?” he says.

“It looks great,” you say.

You’re never washing that cap ever again.

Soon enough you’re cruising out of the parking lot. Julian is animatedly giving you directions while simultaneously telling you stories about some of the places you pass by. He seems to have a story saved for each major street or intersection. Or you’ll pass by a building that he has some connection to as well. Some of the stories he tells you of his chaotic youth seem too outrageous to be real. Then again, Julian seemed to be quite the character.

“There’s no way that’s true,” you say with a laugh.

“Honest. Cross my heart,” Julian says as he makes the movements with his hands, “Oh! Turn left here and find a place to park”

You do as instructed and find a spot to parallel park. It takes a moment with the heavy flow of traffic, but you manage to fit your car in. You both unbuckle yourselves before popping out of the car. Julian seems very excited. He practically slides across the hood of your car to reach you. He then takes your hand in his before he’s pulling you off in another direction.

Both of you are winding through the people on the sidewalk. No one seems to pay you mind. Part of you can’t believe that Julian’s “disguise” is working. Julian has led you to some hole in the wall place that you enter. Whatever is being made inside smells absolutely delicious. Julian sits you down at a small table for two.

“An order of oyster nachos, please!” Julian says enthusiastically at the waitress that walks by.

“Oyster nachos?” you say. You’re trying to wrap your mind around what that would actually look like, let alone test like.

“Trust me,” Julian says with a wide grin.

While you waited, Julian continued to regale you with even more tales. You tried to input some of your own stories that were far tamer than Julian’s. However, you hoped he liked them all the same. He seemed to be interested. The way he looked at you now was as if he was hanging on to every word. It almost took your breath away.

The waitress returned and placed the oysters nachos on the table. You eyed them for a moment. There appeared to be fried oysters on a tortilla chip topped with a sauce of some kind and pico de gayo. Julian picked one up and held it out in front of your face.

“What?” you say as you look at him.

“Open up,” Julian says.

Was he serious? Oh. My. God. Your mouth has already subconsciously opened up to take the food. Apparently the darker part of your mind has taken over. Julian seems surprised by your reaction at first but it’s soon replaced by a smile as he moves the food forward. You can feel the skin of his fingers on either side of your lips as you take a bite of the oyster nacho. Your eyes widen in surprise. An array of tastes hit your tongue and none of them are unpleasant.

“That is really good,” you say after swallowing.

“What did I say?” Julian says as he sits back before placing the bitten nacho back on the plate.

You finally have the sense to blush, which you attempt to hide as you grab another nacho to quickly put in your mouth. Julian grabs one himself to eat. In a few minutes, both of you cleanse the plate of any sign of the nachos. Julian pays as he had earlier said that today was on him.

Then you both are off again. Julian has you zig-zagging all around town to various foodie wonderlands. You seem to both be enjoying each other’s company a lot. After you’re almost full to bursting, Julian sends you in the direction of the Fairfax District. It’s an interesting choice. You rarely go to this part of L.A. normally.

“The Russian district?” you ask curiously.

“Didn’t I say to trust me?” Julian says.

“You’re so right. How dare I question the food guru,” you say teasingly.

Your heart feels so light. So far, this day was turning out amazing. You were really getting to know Julian, not just as a celebrity, but as a person. You supposed he was getting to know you as well. So far, you’ve had some pretty interesting experiences getting to know your castmates. Maybe you’d get a friend or two out of this gig. Or maybe, dare you think it? Something more…

“Here we are!” Julian says, breaking you out of your thoughts.

“Grandma’s Deli: Babushka?” you read aloud, “Interesting. What do they have here?”

“Isn’t it obvious? My Babushka…” Julian says with a smile.

Your face contorts to one of confusion but you follow Julian’s lead. He seems to straighten his clothes a bit before taking off the baseball cap. He also removes his glasses as he pockets them. What was he doing? Julian then confidently walks into the shop.

“Privet! Oh. Ilya! Kak dela?” a woman says as she rounds the deli counter. She’s an older woman by looks, but she looks as healthy as a horse. Her hair is covered by a shawl and she appears to be wearing traditional clothing.

“Mazelinka! Neplokho…” Julian replies in a warm voice.

“And who is this? What trouble has Ilya gotten you into?” Mazelinka asks as she places her hands on her hips to study you.

“Uh… Julian’s been taking me out on the town,” you answer. You wondered if ‘Ilya’ was like a Russian pet name, but your mind seems to recall it being used before.

“He has, has he?” Mazelinka says, “Why have you come to bother me?”

“Come now. No adventure would be complete without some of your amazing soup,” Julian says as he leans on the deli counter with a wide grin. Mazelinka lightly whacks Julian with a spoon she’d been carrying. You hold back a laugh. This old woman had some spunk.

“Don’t make a mess of my counters. You want my soup, you serve yourself,” Mazelinka says as she points at Julian.

“Fair enough,” Julian says with a laugh.

You watch as Julian goes to the back of the shop. You liked the feel of the deli. It reminded you of working in your own aunt’s cafe. Your attention turns back to Mazelinka who is still watching you closely. You feel nervousness building up in your stomach. Did you do something wrong? You don’t think you did, but maybe it was a Russian thing?

“He likes you, you know…” Mazelinka says.

“What?” you say, flushing.

“He must like you enough to bring you here,” Mazelinka replies simply.

You don’t have too long to ponder over Mazelinka’s words as Julian returns. He holds two steaming bowls of soup in each hand. He uses his head to gesture to one of the tables. You wander over as he sets the bowls down. Julian seems to make two spoons appear out of nowhere and sets them down.

“You’re in for a treat,” he says while smiling at you.  
“Yeah…” is all you can say.

You pick up the spoon and hover it over the bowl. You dip down to take a spoonful of soup and bring it up to your mouth. Julian watches you intently. You blow on the soup to cool it down before putting the spoon in your mouth.

The soup is good. You make a move to get another spoonful. Seemingly satisfied with your reaction, Julian starts on his own soup. It seems to warm your whole body. You can’t place the flavor, but it’s delicious. It kind of feels like home? Was that silly? You can feel yourself truly relaxing. It’s like your stress was melting away. What was in this soup?

For the first time today, you both are sitting in silence as you eat. There are no stories. There are no jokes. There are no grand descriptions of food. It was just you two sitting together. It was really nice. Something unspoken happens as you two make eye contact across the table. However just as quickly as it began, the moment ends as your soup bowls empty.

“How was it?” Julian asks.

“Indescribable,” you reply.

“What are you in the mood for? What shall we do now?” Julian says.

“Oh, well. It’s getting kind of late in the afternoon now, isn’t it?” you say. You watch Julian’s face fall a bit at your words.

“It is getting pretty late…” he says somewhat solemnly.

“But the night is still young?” you say suddenly. You find yourself not wanting to disappoint the other. You wanted his smile back.

“You’re right! The night is young!” Julian says with renewed enthusiasm, “Have you ever been to the Rowdy Raven?” 

“I don’t believe I have,” you say.

“This will be a night to remember then,” Julian says with another one of his wide grins.

Julian’s comment would end up turning into ‘Famous Last Words’.

Especially now that you’ve just woken up in an unfamiliar bed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Russian Words: Privet (Hello), Kak Dela? (How are you?), Neplokho (Not too bad).  
>  Oyster Nachos are real and super delicious. 'Grandma's Deli: Babuska' is a real place in Los Angeles if you ever decide to visit. Let me know what you guys thought!
> 
> The next chapter is going to crazy~


	9. The Hangover

Your head is pounding. Your throat is really dry. And your eyes are so heavy. ‘I’m dying’ you think. How much did you drink last night? You suppose your body was telling you the answer. Alcohol consumed? Too damn much.

At least the sheets you’re lying in are super comfy. The feel of silk on your skin feels amazing. Wait… Silk sheets? You don’t own silk sheets. Your eyes immediately snap open. You feel yourself start to hyperventilate as you sit up. Your fingers dig into the fluffy gilded comforter on top of your lap. Your head snaps around to take in your surroundings.

The bedroom you’re in appears to be insanely ornate. The entire interior of the room is in some kind of modern baroque style. There is large furniture clad in gold, oversized mirrors surrounded by intricate gilt frames, dripping crystal chandeliers in the center of the room, and richly woven curtains that cover the windows. And then two dogs laying at your feet…

“Two dogs?” you practically squawk, breath catching in your throat.

Said dogs lift their heads to look at you. One of them gives off a big yawn that ends in a whine. The two large white dogs are very familiar to you, but your mind is having a hard time trying to comprehend it. The dogs don’t seem to have time for your internal panic attack as they jump off the bed and out of the room. You take a shaky breath as you swing your legs over the side of the bed.

“Where are my pants?” you say as you stare down at your bare legs. Your shirt is a little bunched up on your side. This alerts you to another issue. This being that there appears to be writing above your right hip. You lift your shirt more to reveal ‘Dr. Sexy’ written out in a messy scrawl.

Oh. God. What happened last night? Your feet hit the cold wood floor as you shakily stand up. First order of business, you need to find your pants. If you can find your pants, you can hopefully find your phone. And if you can find your phone… You haven’t planned that far ahead yet. 

You shuffle around the room in full on search mode. You put your hands up in a semi-victory pose as you spot your pants on the chair over by the vanity. You quickly head over and pick them up. You feel around the pockets and give a sigh of relief as you feel the edges of your phone. You pull your phone out as you also attempt to get your pants on. It’s a bit of a struggle, but you manage.

You appear to have two messages from your aunt, quite a few missed calls from Portia for some reason, and one missed call from an unknown number. You zip your pants and button them before sending a quick message to your aunt that you’re okay. You’ll listen to Portia’s messages after you make your escape.

You tentatively peek outside of the room. From what you see of the rest of the house, it is in much of the same style as the bedroom. There appears to be no sign of the dogs or anyone else at the moment. You take this as your opportunity. You rush out of the room and head to where you think the front door is. You’re going to make it. You can feel it.

You spot the front door and make a beeline for it. You unlock the door hurriedly and open it simultaneously with the ring of the doorbell. A familiar face stares back at you in shock. His hand is still poised with a finger on the doorbell. Your stomach drops to your butt.

“Asra?” you choke out.

“Y/N?” Asra says somewhat bewildered. You shut the front door back in his face without thinking.

Why did you do that? You just slammed a door in Asra’s face. What do you do now? Do you open the door again? Would that be rude? Is it not rude if it’s not your house? You hear footfalls in the distance. You open the door again and look at Asra again.

“I’m sorry?” you say.

“Are you alright?” Asra asks with concern.

“Who's at the door, Y/N?” a voice asks behind you. You feel a hand placed lightly on your lower back. You stop breathing. When you look back at Lucio, it doesn’t help much. The man is practically wearing nothing!

Lucio is dressed in a semi-sheer red robe with gold and black embellishments that ends just below his knees. The black tie around his waist is one of the few things keeping him decent as the top part of his robe is open wide. You can see the full expanse of his chest and beginnings of abs. His hair is in a semi-disheveled state you’ve never seen before. Blond hair falling over his face. You turn your attention forward again. Your nerves are almost fried.

“Lucio…” Asra says in a neutral tone.

“Oh. Asra, what brings you here?” Lucio asks as he moves further into the doorframe.

“I was under the impression Julian was here. His sister called me to pick him up,” Asra says simply. 

‘Julian has a sister?’ you think.

“Jules is here. I think he’s passed out on one of the couches,” Lucio says while gesturing randomly inside his house with his other hand.

Well, it looks like you’re not escaping any time soon. You’re kind of in a daze as you feel Lucio guide you back into the house. Asra also steps inside. The front door closes. Now what? NOW WHAT!? Asra probably thinks you’re… You’re not sure what, but it can’t be good. You look over at Lucio again, who now has one hand on his hip as he looks around his living room. 

So many things are dancing around in your head. Again you ask yourself what happened last night. How did you end up here? Lucio was being very casual with you. Did you guys… do something? Did you and Julian...do something? A strange feeling comes over you at the next thought. Did all three of you do... something? You feel your cheeks burn.

“Where are my clothes?” Julian’s voice comes from behind a couch. You watch as Julian stands up stark naked. The only thing keeping him modest is a cushion he is holding. Your eyes go wide and your mouth drops open. Asra gives an exasperated sigh beside you.

“They may still be by my pool when you decided to go skinny dipping last night,” Lucio says.

“Skinny dipping…” you all but whisper to yourself.

“I think I was hot…” Julian says before taking notice of you. A huge blush comes to his face and he tries to do a better job at covering his naughty bits, “Good morning Y/N”

“Good morning…” you reply. Your mind stopped working long ago.

“Ilya. Go put your clothes on,” Asra says tiredly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone know where I can commission scenes from my story? I'm thinking about advertising the story on my tumblr. Hope you enjoyed!


	10. Making Headlines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a tinge of angst at the end.

You’re nursing a cup of coffee that Asra mercifully made for you. You apparently weren’t the only one to forget bits and pieces of the night. Lucio and Julian seemed to have different stories of events. You’ve all gathered around Lucio’s kitchen table for a makeshift hangover breakfast. Even Melchior and Mercedes had joined in as they hungrily dug into their separate dog bowls. Julian is on his second cup of black coffee and for some ungodly reason Lucio is drinking a bloody mary. 

“Problem?” Lucio says in response to Asra’s disapproving look as he continues to stir his drink with a celery stick.

Everyone is in better a state of dress than how this morning started. Lucio has dressed in some of the most expensive men’s loungewear you’ve ever seen, looking almost as if it was the first time he was wearing the outfit. Julian has been reunited with his clothes. A flush breaks out on your face again at the memory. You take another large drink of your coffee.

“So, what happened last night?” Asra asks as he glances at each of you in turn.

“Well…” you all three try to speak at once. Lucio decides to take the lead by talking louder than anyone else.

“As I remember it, Y/N requested my presence yesterday night. They were lucky enough to catch me with some free time, so I went out of my way to go to them…” Lucio says as he looks over at you. 

“That’s not what happened,” Julian says with a sneer to the other man.

“What would you know?” Lucio retorts.

“I was there!” Julian says as sets down his mug with a heavy clank against the table.

_///Last Night///_

_“How can a drink that tastes so bad be so addictive?” you ask as you take another swig of your drink. Were you on your third or fourth? You couldn’t remember._

_“That’s a Salty Bitters for you,” Julian says heartily as he wraps an arm around your shoulders._

_You let out a little giggle at Julian’s comment. So far, the ‘Rowdy Raven’ was living up to its name. The people that made up the bar appeared to be a majority of regulars. They were quite a lively bunch. There was drunken singing, darts, pool, stories, and jokes. When you and Julian had initially walked in, they had cheered at the arrival and greeted Julian like an old friend. Friends…_

_“I didn’t see Nadia or Lucio today,” you say.  
“Hmmm?” Julian murmurs as he leans further into you. You do your best to adjust to the shift of weight, but you can start to feel yourself go a little wobbly. Maybe you should pause a round before you have another Salty Bitters._

_“I saw everyone at the costume fitting except Nadia and Lucio. I was hoping to see everyone today, but I don’t even have their phone numbers to message them,” you say with a pout._

_“I have their numbers,” Julian says before finishing his drink off._

_“Oh. But I wouldn’t know what to say…” you say._

_“Then let’s take a picture?” Julian suggests as he sets his drink down to wrangle out his phone from his pocket. He sets his camera up and then wraps his arm around you again, pulling you close. He’s so warm. “Say cheese!”_

_“Cheese!” you say with a smile as you look into the camera. You hope you don’t look as tipsy as you feel at the moment._

_You frown as Julian’s warm hold leaves you momentarily as he sends the photo out. He’s grinning ear to ear. His smile is everything in that moment. You decide to be proactive and move to sit in the middle of Julian’s lap. He starts a bit as his eyes meet yours, a bright red flush deepening on his face._

_“I wanted to be more comfortable,” you announce._

_“Being comfortable is important,” Julian says with a slight crack in his voice as his arm goes around you once more._

_You continue to stare into each other’s eyes. Neither of you says anything for a little while. You shift in Julian’s lap which causes him to bite his lower lip. Your hand falls to his knee as you lean in closer. Julian seems to follow your moves. All of a sudden a random thought pops into your head._

_“Dr. Sexy…” you say._

_“Dr. Sexy?” Julian repeats with a smirk._

_“It’s what my aunt calls you…” you say with a blush._

_“Only your aunt?” Julian teases._

_“She wanted me to get your autograph,” you say slightly embarrassed._

_“I’ll need to find a pen…” Julian says as he leans even closer._

_Your faces are as close as they were earlier in the day. Something feels different now. Your hand moves from Julian’s knee to his chest. Your heart is beating heavily in your own chest and with your hand on his chest, you can feel his heart beating too. You tilt your head as Julian appears to be trying to close the gap between you._

_“I have arrived!” a voice breaks through the moment.  
“Lucio?” Julian says in disbelief as you guys break apart._

_“Did you wait long, Y/N?” Lucio says with bravado, completely ignoring Julian. You’ve shifted out of Julian’s lap by now._

_“What?” you say somewhat confused._

_“Now your night can truly begin,” Lucio says as he sits on the other side of you, his arm wrapping around your shoulders, smiling wide._

///////

“So you invited yourself,” Asra says judgingly.

“I did not invite myself!” Lucio spouts defensively. 

“What do you call showing up randomly in the middle of someone else’s da-- outing?” Julian jabs, fubbing a bit over the last word.

“I took the picture as a subtle invitation. Sort of like, come and join the fun! You’d know I’d recognize the Rowdy Raven anywhere from our younger days together,” Lucio says with a pout.

“Your days together?” you ask curiously.

“They were roommates,” Asra answers you as the other two continue to feed off each other.

“You were just jealous…” Julian sneers.

“Jealous? Of what?” Lucio snaps back.

“You know exactly what. That’s why you ruined a perfectly good evening,” Julian says.

“Ruined?” Lucio says aghast, “I did no such thing! I might’ve made a tiny oopsie showing up, but I certainly raised the standards of the night going forward”

“I had fun with both of you,” you say to insert yourself into the conversation.

Both men stop verbally taking hits at each other to turn their attention to you. You falter slightly under their gaze, but you take a breath to boost up your courage. You wait another moment for things to settle before you continue.

////Last Night///

_Somehow you went from sitting down at the Rowdy Raven to being guided out by Lucio with a slightly disgruntled looking Julian behind him. You’re working very hard to try to walk straight with some difficulty. Lucio’s gentle hold on you is actually helping a bit to move forward._

_“I don’t think I can drive…” you say as you eye your car outside the bar.  
“Drive? We don’t drive. We have people drive for us,” Lucio says as he removes one of the hands steadying you to gesture towards a long white limo waiting._

_“Subtle,” Julian scoffs._

_“I think it’s an improvement from before. No more sneaking into places, we walk right in through the front door…” Lucio says in response to Julian’s comment._

_“Sneaking into places?” you say as the limo door is opened wide for you._

_“I think that makes things more exciting, don’t you?” Julian says as he winks at you._

_Once all three of you are settled into the limousine, Lucio gives directions to the driver to take you to your next destination. This was the second day in a row that you’ve ridden in a limo. However, Lucio’s seemed much cushier than the one that Nadia had gotten for you. You feel like you could fall asleep in the soft leather seats._

_“Y/N…” your name echoes from both men._

_Both Julian and Lucio have taken to either side of you. Their arms meet as they come across your back. You’ve found yourself now tightly wedged in between them. The warmth you’re already feeling from the alcohol increases from their body heat. Their breaths are tickling your ears as they begin to talk._

_“Comfortable?” Julian asks with a wicked grin._

_“Incredibly,” Lucio replies with a grin of his own._

_“Uh...where are we going?” you ask, your heart is picking up speed again._

_“Ah. To a place far more deserving of your time…” Lucio purrs._

_“O-okay,” you say._

_You’re not sure if you’ll make it through the night. Or if you’ll end up a puddle before it’s all over. When it hits midnight does the limo turn into a radish or something? You giggle at your own thought, which catches the attention of your companions. Julian’s smirk softens to a smile as he looks at you. Lucio seems to look at you with that same gentleness._

_The night continues on in grand fashion. Lucio takes you from one high class lounge to the next. Even though Julian seemed reluctant at the beginning of your journey, he looked to be enjoying himself now. You’re sipping your 6th or 7th cocktail of the night. Every location had their specialized cocktail that Lucio insisted everyone try. The drink you were currently savoring had a tart almost floral taste to it, which with the vibrant violet color of the liquor added to the effect._

_“Was’s this one?” you eloquently ask._

_“Violet Sky,” Lucio replies as he takes a sip of his own drink._

_“Autograph!” Julian exclaims suddenly after finishing his own drink.  
“Whose autograph, Jules?” Lucio says as he looks around the bar._

_“No, Y/N’s aunt wants my autograph. An autograph from doctor sexy~” Julian says as he looks at you suggestively._

_Before you can say something, Julian is leaning over the bar to get the bartender's attention. The angle Julian is standing at is just to where his butt seems to be popping out. You enjoy the view as Julian finagles a permanent marker from the bartender. He turns back around to eye you with a grin._

_“I no have thing to write on,” you struggle to say as you mime the action of writing._

_“We’ll improvise!” Julian says with a waggle of his eyebrows._

_Julian looks you over before pulling at the corner of your shirt. He lifts it high enough to reveal a sliver of your stomach and hip. When he starts writing it tickles. You do nothing to stop him. In the state of mind you’re in, this seems perfectly reasonable. You definitely won’t lose the autograph this way._

_“Hey! Y/N wants my autograph too!” Lucio interjects._

_Julian and Lucio wrestle over the pen for a moment before it exchanges hands. Lucio turns you around and lifts the back of your shift. It feels slightly more odd than when the front of your stomach was exposed. You feel the permanent marker press against your lower back. Lucio takes his time when writing his name._

_“You gave them a tramp stamp,” Julian comments._

_“Said the tramp…” Lucio replies._

_The next hour or so comes in a blur. You have officially reached the point of no return. You take the arms offered to you as you are hefted out of the limo. You hear hushed voices talking around you as you’re led to your new destination. You swear you can hear dogs barking._

_“Daddy’s home, my darlings!” Lucio’s voice calls out beside you._

///////////////////////////

“Then we brought you to the guest room,” Julian finishes.

“Guest room…” you repeat.

“No one gets into my bed until at least the second date,” Lucio teases.

You all are quiet for a moment. Your nervousness is creeping up again as no one says anything. The blush on your cheeks has got to be noticeable by now. The quiet is interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. Lucio goes over to his kitchen counter and answers it. 

“ Hello. Oh? That’s interesting…” Lucio speaks into the receiver.

Asra offers to refill your coffee as it has now gone cold. You nod your head and lean back into the kitchen chair. So nothing happened. Well things happened… but nothing untoward happened to you. That was good. You notice Julian is watching you from across the table.

“What?’ you ask as Asra sets a fresh mug down in front of you.

“You really did have fun?” Julian asks.

“Of course,” you say with a smile.

Lucio appears to be getting more animated in his phone call now. He talks into the phone while making random gestures with his free hand. Whatever he’s talking about requires his full involvement apparently. Lucio purses his lips in thought before ending the call.

“Apparently our outing yesterday made headlines,” Lucio announces.

“Why?” Asra asks.

“What did we do?” you also chime in.

“Became free fodder for the media…” Julian says with a frown as he scrolls on his phone.

You pull out your own phone and search entertainment news. There were pictures of you, Lucio, and Julian splayed everywhere. Some of the accusations you saw were making you sick to your stomach. You felt a hand on your shoulder and looked up to Asra. His face was one of concern. You frown and go back to doom scrolling.

**“Mystery Lover?”**

**“Sleeping their way to the top?”**

**“Lucio Capra moving on from broken marriage with Hollywood Nobody?”**

**“Sex Sells: High-End Prostitute?”**

**“Julian Devorak and Lucio Capra: Are they? Or Aren’t they?”**

**“Three’s Company Last Night”**

You hadn’t even noticed you were crying until you felt Julian’s thumb wipe away a tear. Your lip is trembling as you look up at him. Julian’s face is sullen as he stares into your eyes. He continues to rub at your face as you let out a shuddery breath. Asra’s hand on your shoulder squeezes tighter.

“There’s no such thing as bad publicity. Take this as an opportunity. It’ll be a great lead into our filming. We can drop a sneak peek at the new project,” Lucio tries.

The look Asra and Julian shoot Lucio is one of murderous intent. This was too much. All of this was too much. You needed to leave. You needed to get out. You quickly stand up, knocking into Asra slightly. You give a quick apology as you head towards the front door.  
“Where are you going?” all three ask.

“Away…” is all you can manage before you close the door behind you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think! <3


	11. Decompress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lil' more angst to boil the pot

You’ve walked about a half mile away from Lucio’s house before realizing you didn’t know where you were going. You’d been so caught up in your thoughts, your feet just kept moving you forward. You suck in a breath and wipe what was left of your drying tears. You wish you had your headphones. The comfort of music helped you to unwind. Unfortunately, your headphones were left in your car. And your car was still at the “Rowdy Raven”. 

An Uber ride later, you’re now picking up your car from the parking lot. You open the car door and slide in. You sit for a moment not doing anything. You lean your head back in your seat and take a shaky sigh. What were you doing?

You feel empty, like you can’t quite process what was happening yet. Your phone buzzes again for about the 100th time that hour. Frustrated you grab your phone and throw it in the back of the car where it collides with the backseat headrest. 

You drag your hands over your face with a groan. The ride home is mostly uneventful. Your aunt is waiting for you upon your return. She looks worried. You don’t answer any of her questions as you rush up to your room above the cafe. You can’t talk now. You don’t think you can.

You pace around your room before deciding you need a shower. You were wearing the clothes from the day before after all. You take off your pants and pull off your shirt. You pause a moment as you stare into your bedroom mirror. Your fingers brush over Julian’s signature and then your turn around to see Lucio’s as well. You wondered how long it took to wash off permanent markers.

You rid yourself of your underwear as you turn on the shower head. You stick your hand under the stream of water to check the temperature before stepping in. The water feels amazing on your skin. You lean your head against the tile as the water continues to pour around you. Maybe you were overreacting? Maybe you weren’t? Was it possible to have a ruined career before you even had one? You let out a humourless laugh.

After your shower, you don’t bother getting dressed. Instead you fall into bed with your towel still wrapped around you. You stare at the ceiling in thought. Yesterday had apparently been a lot of fun, but at what price? You supposed it could be the universe balancing itself out. You shut your eyes.

You’re not sure how long you were asleep when you hear knocking on your door. You open your eyes slowly and glance over as your aunt enters the room. You sit up and do your best to cover yourself with your towel. You let out a long yawn.

“What’s up?” you ask tiredly. Your aunt has to be aware of all the bad publicity by now. You wonder if her judgement will be as bad as everyone else’s seemed to be.

“Honey, you got a phone call on the cafe landline. Apparently no one has been able to get to you on your cell phone,” you aunt says. You’re momentarily confused until you remember yourself throwing it into the back of your car earlier.

“Who called?” you ask.

“Nadia Satrinava…” your aunt replies, still wearing a surprised expression on her face.

“Nadia?” you say as you stand up.

“She wanted to invite you to do a practice reading. She gave me an address for you to drive to instead of her house. She says hers is swarmed with paparazzi at the moment. She sounded concerned for you...” your aunt says as she eyes you with a frown.

You take in this information before shooing your aunt out of the room. You quickly get changed as new thoughts swarm in your head. You begin to realize your actions yesterday affected more than just you, Julian, and Lucio. Obviously with Nadia being Lucio’s ex-wife, the paparazzi would be attaching her to the media shitstorm too. 

Guilt starts to eat away at you as you head to your car. It wasn’t entirely your fault, but you still felt bad. Your guilt worsens as you finally get to your car and notice numerous text messages and missed calls. Some were from numbers you were unfamiliar with, but you had a guess of who they could be. You input the number your aunt gave you for Nadia. Some of the unknown calls and messages change to Nadia’s name after entering the contact.

You read some of her messages over. Your aunt was right. Nadia seemed genuinely worried about you. A tightness starts to form in your chest. You notice some more messages from Portia as well. You still haven’t listened to your voicemail yet. You start going through some of the other messages. You’re not sure exactly who they are from, but you have a few guesses.

Instead of replying to anyone, you text Nadia to say you have accepted her invitation. You’re still not ready to officially talk to anyone yet. You hope the drive to this other location Nadia’s at gives your time to ruminate. You tap your fingers on your steering wheel as you hum to yourself. Maybe doing this reading would help lighten the mood somehow? You don’t know. You’ve never had to deal with anything like this before.

You pull into another nice neighborhood, but it isn’t nearly as expensive looking as Nadia’s or Lucio’s neighborhoods. Your phone GPS says you’ve reached your destination. You park on the side and peer out through your front windshield. The outside architecture points to a Spanish/Morrocan influence. It sticks out a bit from the other hacienda style homes around it. You step out of your car and head towards the door.

Your nerves start to push on you again as you ring the bell. You're taken by surprise as Asra opens the door to greet you. It was the second time that day you’d been face to face together at a doorway. He gives you a warm smile as he opens the door wider for you to enter.

“Welcome to my home,” Asra says in his soft, calming voice.

“Th-thank-you,” you say as you walk inside.

You’re in awe at what greets your eyes as you enter. The interior of the house has a mix of elements of nature, vibrant colors, highly adorned furniture and accessories, potted plants, and gentle lighting to achieve the perfect indoor environment. The vibrant colors remind you of when you met Asra’s mother yesterday. Shades of blue, green, and turquoise are reminiscent of the surrounding oceans, shimmering gold and silver evoke images of the desert, and rich reds and oranges conjure images of beautiful intense sunsets. It was breathtaking.

As you wander further into the house and go through an ornate archway, you find yourself in a large sitting room. The lighting is neither too bright nor too soft. You smell incense burning in the distance. Pillows of various sizes in hues of red, orange, and purple are spread out around the floor. There’s a coffee table on the side holding a traditional styled tea set. Nadia was busy filling another glass as she looked up at you and smiled.

You take notice of a third person you weren’t expecting. Muriel is hunkered down in a set of pillows playing a game. The sight is somewhat amusing as Muriel’s monstrous form is scrunched up in a tiny place. You wander over and lean to see his screen.

“What are you playing?” you ask.

“Animal crossing…” Muriel answers you after a minute. You watch Muriel’s character wander across the screen as he did various tasks. You start to notice a similarity of all the other characters he interacts with.

“Are all your villagers, chickens?” you ask.

“Yes…” Muriel says with a light blush.


	12. Supporting Cast

None of you had actually started on the script yet. First everyone had a cup of tea followed by casual conversation. Asra’s house was just as soothing as he was. The atmosphere was comfortable and light. You let a small smile come to your face.

“You shouldn’t let them get to you…” Nadia starts, “The media will always try to find a weak point. The key is to seem above the gossip they have about you,”

“Oh. Well… it’s all new to me,” you reply.

“I know. That’s why I made a few calls on your behalf. My sister, Natiqa, is in public relations. She is also working with her contacts. We’ll throw the vultures off the scent. It’s the same people I worked with when I divorced Lucio,” Nadia says.

“Thank-you?” you say somewhat unsure of how else to reply.

“Sometimes the things they say can hurt, but Nadia’s right, you have to be stronger than their comments. I remember when I came out as non-binary, but still used male pronouns. It was hard for a while…” Asra comments as he takes another sip of his Lapsang souchong.

“Some of the things they were saying about Asra were similar to what they said about one of my other siblings, Nazali. I did my best to support Asra as I had my sibling. Know that we’ll do the same for you in any situation,” Nadia says as she squeezed Asra’s free hand with a small smile.

“Not everything,” Muriel speaks up.

“What?” Asra asks.

“Not any situation,” Muriel says.

“Oh.” you say as you eye the large man.

“Not murder?” Muriel explains at the curious looks he receives from Asra and Nadia.

There’s a pause before everyone else starts laughing. You cover your mouth with your hand to try to stifle it some. Your heart feels lighter already. Asra leans into Muriel as he buries his head into the other’s shoulder. Muriel looks extremely embarrassed now. Nadia’s laugh is a little more reserved, but a laugh all the same.

“I promise I’m not planning on murdering anyone anytime soon,” you say. Muriel gives a little huff, but you can still see the bright blush on his face.

“Should we practice? In a week and a half, we’ll be officially on set,” Nadia says.

You agree and you all settle around the scripts. Obviously, some scenes will be filmed at different times, but you appeared often. You practiced just reading together for a few scenes and then you guys discussed motivations. What was motivating the character to do the things they did? What were their feelings? You’re startled as Nadia speaks up.

“Asra is in love with you,” Nadia says. Your heart stops a moment.

“W-what?” you say weakly.

“The magician is in love with the apprentice,” Asra confirms. His eyes are still on the script as he flips through it. Oh. Oh god. Everything is fine. You’re just an idiot.

“R-right,” you say before clearing your throat.

“Would you like to go over our scene together real quick?” Nadia asks you.

“Sure,” you say.

////////

_“Ah. Apprentice. Welcome to the Palace. Have a seat. You’re too late for dinner I’m afraid” the countess says, “I was beginning to think you had forgotten my invitation. But, perhaps you are simply unaccustomed to travel? You look exhausted. Why I can see your cheeks gleaming from here”._

Nadia and you pretend to be eating food before she continues her lines.

_“Do you like it , apprentice? The painting” the countess asks._

_“No,” the apprentice says simply._

_“No? My husband treasured that piece. It was one of his favorites. Though I suppose some of his tastes were strange…” the countess replies, “He’s the goat in the middle, of course. Ever the provider. The count had the populace eating out of the plan of his hand. Much like the painting, I suppose. Whatever he offered, the people gobbled it up. They worshipped him.”_

“You can definitely tell my ex-husband had a hand in writing the script. He would want people to absolutely worship him,” Nadia says as her lips curl.

“I’m surprised he didn’t set up a love interest for himself,” Asra commented.

“Don’t give him any ideas. I’m certain that he might make the countess his love interest, but if not I’m sorry for whoever he does decide to have it be,” Nadia says.

You have a question on the tip of your tongue, but you don’t feel it’s appropriate to ask it. You really wanted to know why Nadia and Lucio separated. Maybe it wasn’t as amicable as it appeared? But then she was working on his project? Nadia must have noticed you watching her as she quirks a brow.

“Y/N?” she asks.

“Sorry. I was just trying to figure out my character's motivation in all of this, but I guess it’s just like Lucio said, I’m a plot device,” you say.

“I wouldn’t put too much stock into what Lucio says half the time. He tends to put his foot in his mouth a lot. This morning is a great example of that,” Asra says.

“I guess…” you say before checking your watch. It was much later in the evening now.

“Need to go?” Asra asks.

“I should probably head home now. Thank-you for inviting me, Nadia. And thank-you for letting us meet in your house, Asra” you say.

“No problem at all,” Asra says.

“Remember that we’re here for you,” Nadia says.

You give your goodbyes to everyone, even Muriel shyly waves you off. It was comforting to know that people were there for you. You text your aunt that you’re coming back before getting into your car. The drive back is uneventful, but a surprise is waiting for you back at the cafe.

  
“Y/N...oh thank goodness your back. You’ve got to help me figure out what we’re going to do with all of these,” your aunt says as she gestures to what looks to be hundreds and hundreds of white rose bouquets.

The roses are in vases that line the walls of the cafe, are piled onto counters and tables, and seem to almost fill the entire confined space. You take it all in with mild shock. Where did they all come from? You weren’t even aware Los Angeles had this many white roses in the city.

“What’s with the roses?” you ask.

“I don’t know. They all came for you,” your aunt replies.

“They’re all for me?” you say in astonishment.

“They all arrived at different times while you were out, but they did come with the same small card. They’re all initialed with a golden ‘L’,” your aunt answers.

“Lucio?” you say in disbelief.

“And you have a guest upstairs that’s been waiting for you,” your aunt adds.

“A guest?” you say with confusion.

“Hurry up now! Don’t leave them up there all night!” your aunt says as she pushes you towards the back where the stairs are.

You nearly trip yourself as you go up the steps. Who could be waiting up there? Your heart seizes in your chest a moment. You take a breath as you make up to the landing. There were only a couple possibilities as to who could be up there theoretically. You walk over to your door and open it up.

“Hello?”


	13. Sibling Rivalry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm coming for your kidney, Prince_Malak

“Portia?” you say as the small redhead runs to you to pull you into a big hug. Portia is a lot stronger than she looks as she squeezes you.

“Are you okay?” Portia asks worriedly.

“I’m okay now” you say as you hug her back, “I’m sorry for not calling you back. I hadn’t had a chance to listen to your messages”.

“It’s alright. Are you sure you’re okay?” Portia asks as she eyes you unsuredly.

“Promise. I just needed time to clear my head,” you say with a small smile.

Portia gives you another big squeeze before finally letting go. It’s nice to know what Portia was worrying about you too. You hoped this would improve the friendship you were already forming. Portia takes a deep breath before letting it out. She looks like she’s preparing for something.

  
“I know your day must have been crazy. I don’t know about Lucio, but my brother has been an absolute wreck…” Portia starts.

“Your brother?” you ask confused. Portia blinks and her mouth turns into an ‘O’.

“Julian… he’s my brother,” Portia says with a light blush.

“Julian Devorak is ‘your’ brother?” you say in surprise.

“How many sassy redheads do you know in this town?” Portia teases with a hand on her hip.

“Fair point. Is that...why you never told me your last name?” you ask.

“My brother was already pretty big when I started working in the city. I wanted to prove to him that I could make it on my own without his help. I was interested in acting for a while, but I find direction is more my style. I’m going to continue working with Ms. Satrinava until I can get a directing gig,” Portia explains as she nervously moves her fingers together.

“That’s the first time you mentioned directing. I think you’d be great at it! You are the queen of organization,” you say with a wide smile.

“That’s me!” Portia says with her own smile.

“I still can’t believe Julian is your brother…” you say. Portia gasps and claps her hands together.

“I almost forgot! Like I was saying, Julian is pretty much… himself, but he’s down. He was always the more dramatic of us; shouldering other people’s burdens while complaining about the size of load. He’s been worried about upsetting you all day,” Portia says with an exasperated look on her face.

“Oh no! He didn’t do anything wrong. I think he texted me earlier, but I haven’t replied. Is it too late to meet somewhere to talk?” you ask the last question to yourself.

“Don’t worry about that. He’s downstairs sulking in my car…” Portia says with a sigh.

“He is?” you say.

“Yep. He was too nervous to wait inside with me. He didn’t want you to feel like he was intruding. I had to listen to about ten minutes of him moaning about it before finally coming in by myself,” Portia replies. You’re not sure if you should laugh or not.

“He really is dramatic, isn’t he?” you say.

“Immensely” Portia says through her teeth, “Come on let’s go before my brother decides to leave without me”.

You both head down the stairs and past the large quantities of white roses to the parking lot. You can see the light inside the car flipping on and off. Whenever the light is on, it illuminates Julian sitting in the car flipping the switch above his head. He looks cramped in Portia’s car, legs propped up on the dashboard.

  
“Ilya! Stop draining my car battery!” Portia shouts as you approach the vehicle.

It’s somewhat comical as you watch Julian jolt in his seat. Long skinny legs flinging this way and that as he tries to properly sit in his seat. His eyes widen as he finally takes notice of you. Portia unlocks the car and opens the passenger side door. You can only stare at him for a moment.

“Hello…” you say.

“I’m so sorry…” Julian starts. Portia huffs under her breath before turning to you.

“Oh boy, when he gets like this, what he really needs is a good boot to the ass, you want to deliver it or should I?” she says.

“Pasha!” Julian chokes out.

“No. I think we’re fine,” you reply, trying not to laugh.

“It’s not funny!” Julian says with a pout.

“It is, kinda. But I’m not mad Julian. There’s no need to apologize. This morning was just a lot to take in,” you say reassuringly.

“You’re not mad, Y/N?” Julian asks again.

“No. I’m not mad,” you reply.

“Thank, Jesus. Now kiss and make-up…” Portia says with a devilish grin.

Julian sputters and you can feel your cheeks begin to heat up. You watch Julian finally attempt to step out of the car awkwardly. He gives his sister a look before turning to you again. He clears his throat as his own blush starts to appear. You sway your arms at your side. Now what?

“We don’t… She’s kidding…” Julian says.

“No, I’m not…” Portia teases as she crosses her arms.

“He doesn’t have to kiss me,” you wheeze out.

Portia seems to enjoy watching you two squirm. You were already thinking of little revenges. You imagined Julian was as well. You both awkwardly shifted your feet from one side to the other. You continued just to look into each other’s eyes.

“If Ilya doesn’t, I wouldn’t mind a kiss…” Portia says with her own blush and shy smile.

“What?” Julian and you say simultaneously.

“Absolutely not!” Julian says after a moment.

“Why not? You’d want a kiss from me, right, Y/N?” Portia says with a sparkle in her eye.

  
“Um...well…” you’re not sure what to say, but soon that doesn’t matter.

Soft lips meet yours. It takes you completely by surprise. You close your eyes as you feel long bony fingers brush into your hair. You begin to lean into the kiss as it deepens. You could feel your heart about to burst in your chest. You move your arms to wrap around Julian’s neck. You have to step on your tip-toes a bit to reach him. Then just as quickly as it started, it ends. Julian leans back and gazes into your eyes. His flush has traveled to the tips of his ears and down his neck.

Portia seems very satisfied with herself.


	14. The Fame

The only light illuminating the room is a single lamp beside you. You’re lying in bed and staring at the ceiling deep in thought. Your fingers of your right hand press lightly to your lips. He kissed you. You kissed him. Julian Devorak and you kissed. It was so gentle and soft. You remember the feeling of his hands brushing through your hair. The way he looked at you with those gorgeous grey eyes. Your hand falls from your lips to land back down on the mattress.

His arms around you, hands gently pressing down at the juncture of your hips. Your own arms encircling his neck as you leaned him closer to you. The kiss was so brief, but the moments after felt like eternity. You’re wondering if you fell asleep at Asra’s and this was some kind of dream. It certainly felt real though. You shift on your bed until you’re lying on your side. A small smile winds its way onto your face as you take your pillow and squeeze it tight. You feel giddy.

Portia had teased you both by blowing a wolf whistle at you. You had detached from each other hastily, both you and Julian sporting blushes. Julian didn’t seem to know what to say or do after that. To be fair, you weren’t sure what to do either. Portia mentioned that her and Julian were glad to hear that you were okay. Julian had silently nodded his head in agreement. Portia looked delighted as she waved you off and worked on cramming her brother back into the car. All Julian could do was gaze back at you as you stood there and watched them go.

Your cell phone buzzes and shuffles a bit on the side table. You release your hold on your pillow to grab it. You move to sit up as you bring your phone over. The message is from Lucio. ‘Did you like the roses?’. Before you can reply your phone begins to ring. You push ‘accept’ and bring it to your ear.

“Hello?” you say.

“You actually answered! I mean… of course you answered, who wouldn’t answer a phone call from me?” Lucio’s voice comes through.

“I did like the roses,” you say softly, you can tell by Lucio’s tone and words that he was worried.

“Really? That’s good. Good. And are you still mad at me?” Lucio asks unsuredly.

“I was never mad at you,” you reply.

“You weren’t? Even with my little oopsie this morning?” Lucio says.

“I understand now that you were just trying to make me feel better,” you say as you dig your fingers into the sheets absentmindedly. 

“You did? You understand me…” Lucio sounds surprised.

“Hmmmm?” you sound into the phone.

“It’s nothing. Just. I’m glad you’re not mad. You deserve more than just roses. I need to get you something else,” Lucio says before listing off various things.

“The roses are plenty,” you say quickly.

“Nonsense! Someone like you deserves to be spoiled. Good-night, Y/N!” Lucio says before ending the call.

You stare at your phone for a minute. Lucio sounded so happy before he hung up. You wonder if everything had bothered him as much as it had bothered Julian. Your mind wanders back to the redhead. Getting so much attention from the ‘gods of hollywood’ was interesting. You weren’t sure what to make of it just yet. They were all so wonderful. Julian had kissed you. Would any of the others kiss you as well? The thought makes you blush. Was that being greedy? Or was it just wishful thinking?

“I’m in trouble…” you whisper to yourself.

**//////////////////////////////////////////////////**

_The next day…_

“Get a free rose with every purchase!” you say as you greet customers coming into your aunt’s cafe. You’d come to the solution of dealing with all the roses with your aunt. Regular customers coming in were pleased with the new addition. Some were even asking if there was a special promotion going on.

You hadn’t really slept that well the night before. It had been a long day and so much had happened. Thoughts swirling in your head had kept you tossing and turning. Relations between everyone were rising and you hadn’t even started filming yet. Everything was happening so fast. You hadn’t really had time to slow down.

Voices start to raise around you in excited chatter. You look around to see what the excitement is about. A luxury car slowly pulls up and stops in front of your aunt’s cafe. All you can do is blink in disbelief as the window slowly rolls down. A young woman meets your gaze with a confident smile. The woman has a slender build, dark olive skin, lightning blue eyes and full lips painted the same vivid blue color. Her dark blue hair is coiffed high with one braid loose. She is dressed in deep blue garments with a red and gold scarf, and wears an assortment of golden jewelry. She twiddles her fingers at you once she has your attention.

“Y/N?” she asks expectantly.

“Yes?” you say somewhat confused. The young woman looks familiar somehow.

“Come on. We’ve got to go. Places to see and people to meet!” she says as she waves you over.

“Go where? I...I just can’t leave?” you reply as you glance back to your aunt inside. 

“Sure you can. I happen to know that your schedule is clear,” the woman says.

“I don’t even know who you are?” you say as you raise your hands in defeat.

“Natiqa Satrinava, public relations,” she says with a grin.

“Nadia’s sister?” you say as realization finally hits you.

“Guilty as charged. Didi called me up. Like I said, places to go…” Natiqa says as she opens up the car door before shifting over to make room for you.

You give your aunt one last look. She just waves you off and motions that she’ll call you later. You slide in and close the door behind you. This was weird, right? This wasn’t a normal thing that happens to people? You buckle yourself in and turn to Natiqa. She appears to be going through a list on her phone and jotting down notes on a notepad.

“We’re going to pick up some outfits for you first at one of the haute couture clothing stores. Didi arranged it and apologizes that they’re generic rather than tailored. She’s having a few things designed for you though as she got your sizes from the costume fitting. And then...right, we’ll get your hair done. Maybe some highlights?” Natiqa rattles on as you kind of just sit there taking it all in.

“Nadia bought me clothes? Why am I getting my hair done?” you interrupt.

“Hate to say it, but in this town looks matter. You’re already cute, so that’s a plus. I’m just here to make you shine and get in with the right people. This will be your big debut!” Natiqa says.

“My big debut?” you say as you look at her.

“We’re going to officially put you in the Hollywood spotlight as an up and coming star! It’ll explain your outing the other day among other things. Your life is about to change forever!” Natiqa says before going back to her phone.

You sit there in stunned silence. You could feel pressure building up in your chest. Were you ready for your life to change forever? The panic rising inside you made it feel like you weren’t. You were never great with handling anxiety. Oh. God. Could you do this? You guessed there was only one way to find out.

For the next two hours, you’re trying on outfit after outfit. Each outfit has to have matching accessories and shoes. The amount of money this must have all cost makes you slightly nauseous. You try your best not to think about it, but you know you’ll never be able to pay back Nadia. Natiqa is adjusting the shoulders of a blazer you’re trying on as you look into the mirror.

“Looks good! We’ll take this one too,” Natiqa says to the clothing attendant. You swallow and take another breath.

“Was this the last one?” you ask.

“It is. We finished in time for your appointment at the cosmetic center,” Natiqa says simply as you go to change.

“Cosmetic center?” you say pausing, “Like plastic surgery? I’m not comfortable with that”

“Oh, no. It’s nothing like that. They offer other stuff too. I have you down for a full facial. You’ll feel amazing,” Natiqa replies.

“I’ve never had a facial before,” you say as you close the curtain and start to shuffle out of the clothes.

“Then you’re in for a treat. Your skin will feel amazing. Didi wants to schedule a full spa day for you guys in the future. Not there, but at the Nevivon,” Natiqa says from the other side of the curtain.

“The Nevivon? Aren’t their specialized salt baths like a couple hundred dollars?” you say as your chest seizes again.

“It’s worth every penny. Trust me,” Natiqa replies.

After changing you’re hurried off again. You’re somewhat surprised by Natiqa’s easy going nature. She seems to make friends with people everywhere she goes. Her personality was very different from her sisters. While Nadia was more reserved, Natiqa seemed very open. She smiles at the receptionist as you both walk into the cosmetic center.

“Welcome! Please have a seat until your name is called. I will be with you shortly,” the receptionist says with a plastered smile.

You and Natiqa take a seat in the lobby as you wait. Your eyes wander around the interior of the cosmetic center. Everything looks very sterile and clean. It feels like you’re in a posh doctor’s office. You feel Natiqa stiffen beside you. You turn your head to eye her curiously.

“What is it?’ you ask.

“It’s ‘ _the surgeon_ ’” Natiqa whispers back as she nudges her head towards another direction in the lobby.

_The surgeon…_

You’d heard about them. Rumors floating in the ether. They’d been in the cosmetic surgery business for a while. Valdemar Queastor is fairly tall and thin and has sickly greenish skin (reportedly to be a rare skin condition) and red lizard-like eyes. They dress in a white doctor's uniform that has a red beetle brooch at the neck, an apron with a pocket full of surgical tools and long black gloves. Valdemar is very skilled at what they do. It’s why they earned the name ‘ _the surgeon’._ However, some people found them unsettling. They had a morbid curiosity with death, gore, and blood. They often would talk about their surgeries in excruciating detail. From every cut to every slice to every peel of skin or breaking of bones, they would share it all.

They take notice of you staring at them and start making their way towards you. You feel your shoulders tense up with every short and solid step closer. You look up as they seem to tower over you. They slowly lower their mask on their face to give you a wide unsettling smile.

“Hello…” they say slowly as they continue to look over you.

“Um… Hi?” you reply.

“You’re Lucio’s new toy,” they say simply. 

“I’m not Lucio’s toy!” you say indignantly, “I’m not anyone’s toy”

“That’s right! This is the up and coming star, Y/N. I wouldn’t think someone like you would take stock in such rumors,” Natiqa chimes in to save you.

“Ah. My mistake. Have a day,” Valdemar says before standing up straight and walking away.

“Have a day?” you say as you watch them go.

“Yeah. That’s weird,” Natiqa says.

The rest of the visit at the cosmetic center is uneventful. Natiqa was right, the facial had felt amazing. Your skin felt refreshed. While you had been getting your facial, Natiqa was already booking your hair appointment. You said you weren’t sure about a haircut, but she had insisted on at least getting it styled.

“This. This I can work with,” the stylist says as they run their hands through your hair.

“Excellent. I’ve chosen this outfit for tonight’s event. Pick something that’ll make everything pop. I want Y/N to be on everyone’s lips by tomorrow morning. They should be sent scurrying around to keep up with Y/N’s style,” Natiqa says as she shows the stylist her phone.

“Tonight’s event?” you say surprised, “What event?”

“I told you that your life was about to change forever,” Natiqa says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get even more interesting as other characters are introduced. What's a great story without a little conflict? I hope you guys have been enjoying this story.


	15. Grand Entrance

New look, new clothes, and a new bundle of nerves is what you are currently working with. The event Natiqa had mentioned was a charity social being put on by Nadia. There was going to be food, dancing, and a private auction. Several donors had bought tickets in advance. It was a chance for the fabulously wealthy to flash their ‘generosity’ to the cameras.

You take a breath before stepping out of the car. Flashes of light almost blind you as you walk forward. Suddenly a warm hand takes your arm and pulls you forward. Nadia gazes at you with a subtle smile. She fully wraps her arm around your own as she leads you to the door of the conference center of the hotel.

“Those clothes suit you,” Nadia says as she continues forward, head held high with confidence.

“Th-thank-you,” you stutter out.

Nadia sneaks another glance at you as you make your way inside. Classical music can be heard playing from a live orchestra somewhere. You’re taken aback by the grandeur of the decorations hung everywhere. There’s an array of colors, metallic streamers, and hanging stars. It takes your breath away.

After making your way to the dining area, Nadia stops you by the door. You both continue to stand arm in arm as Nadia takes her position as hostess. She greets everyone that passes by with poise and grace. You feel inadequate standing next to her. She is leagues above you. Nadia must have noticed your worried expression as she gently squeezes your hand.

“So you’re the witch?” a cultured voice asked. You turn your head to look at the new arrival. The man’s long black ombre hair is woven into a braid that is draped over his shoulder. He wears a dark beige and white robe with shiny golden ties and lining, while a dark shawl is wrapped around his shoulders. The shawl is adorned with what appears to be a golden ram head.

“What?” you say confused.

“Ah. Valerius, I see you already found the wine. Is it to your liking?” Nadia says, an edge to her voice you’d never heard before.

“It will do” Valerius responds as he swivels the red wine in his glass, “As I was saying, your friend here is the witch in that little pet project of Lucio’s?”

“I’m the magician’s assistant,” you reply. Valerius just looks at you, his lips thinning. He makes a dismissive noise before taking another drink. You feel Nadia’s grip on your hand tighten a bit.

“Let’s hope whatevers up for auction is worth my time,” Valerius gives as his parting words before entering the dining hall. Nadia huffs beside you.

“I strongly dislike him,” Nadia admits low under her breath.  
“Then why invite him?” you ask.

“He always donates large amounts of money at my charity events,” Nadia says with a sigh, “I’m fairly certain he only does it for the clout”

You squeeze Nadia’s hand to reassure her as she had done for you. Nadia turns to you and smiles before going back to being the gracious hostess. You both stand there for the next thirty minutes as people shuffle in. You’re introduced to an unknown number of the Hollywood elite. It’s a bit overwhelming. Suddenly a familiar face comes into view.

“Asra!” you say excitedly, flushing at your own reaction.

“Y/N. You look great,” Asra says with his usual serene smile.

“They absolutely do, don’t they?” Nadia says as she looks at you admiringly. You’re not sure how to respond as your blush deepens a darker red, “Why don’t you go sit with Asra, Y/N? I can handle greetings going forward”

“Are you sure?” you ask.

“Of course, I want you to have a good time,” Nadia says as she releases her hold on your arm.

You hesitate for a moment before following Asra into the dining hall. You see groups of people chatting and some others at tables doing the same. Hor Dourves are being served by the wait staff as well as drinks. The food smells heavenly. You expected no less than the best from Nadia. Her brunch with you was a testament to that. Asra sways your attention as he offers you a drink.

“Thanks, Asra. Um… do you know if anyone else is coming?” you ask as you cradle the drink in your hand.

“I believe so, but not Muriel. He’s never been one for parties or large crowds,” Asra says as he looks at you.

“Doesn’t that make it hard for him when he does wrestling?” you say.

“Technically there’s only him and another wrestler in the ring,” Asra says matter of factly. 

You’re quiet for a moment as you continue to watch the room. You weren’t sure if you were ever going to get used to things like this. Fancy people in their fancy clothes living the high life. Natiqa was right, your life was changing. Maybe it was changing too fast? You take an experimental drink from your glass before gulping down a little more. 

You almost choke as the charming redhead that had been on your mind since the night before came into view. Asra gently pats your back as you cough. You try to regain your composure as you set your glass down on a nearby table. You place a hand on your chest as you attempt to breathe again. You’re embarrassed at how Julian makes you feel just looking at him. Julian hasn’t even taken notice of either of you yet. He has a rather forlorn look on his face as he messes with a fork on the table, twiddling it between his fingers. He then leans back in his chair and lets out a sad sigh.

“I’m alright,” you try to reassure Asra as he continues to rest a hand on your back.

“What happened?” he asked concernedly.

“N-nothing. Just had some go down the wrong tube,” you say.

Suddenly you feel another hand resting on your side. You start a bit and turn to meet with Lucio’s gaze. His eyes trail down your body and then back up again. A wide grin comes to his features as he continues to look at you. Butterflies swarm around in your stomach. In this setting, he appears even more handsome than usual. Asra has pulled away his own hand, but you take little notice.

“I’m jealous. Noddy beat me to it…” Lucio says as his thumb brushes against your back.

“Beat you to what?” you ask as your heart starts thrumming in your chest.

“I was the one that was supposed to spoil you, wasn’t I?” Lucio replies seductively.

You could just die. Your lips move, but no sound comes out. You weren’t certain if Lucio was flirting or not with you before, but now you definitely knew. Lucio takes your stunned silence as an invitation as he moves you closer to his side. His face starts to flush slightly just at his cheeks as he continues to hold you. You hear Asra make a disgruntled noise beside you. 

“Asra. How long have you been here?” Lucio asks with a smirk. Before Asra can get a word in, and it looked he had a lot to say, they were interrupted.

“Y/N?” a familiar voice asks.

“J-Julian,” you say nervously.

“Looks like everyone’s here,” Julian says with an uncomfortable look on his face.

Julian’s eyes turn to the hold Lucio has on you for a moment before going back up to your face. This is extremely awkward. Julian shifts left and right in his spot, the same as he had done yesterday. One of your hands subconsciously goes up to rest on your lips. The memory of the kiss was still fresh on your mind. Julian watched the action intently. His face began to flush and a small smile emerged on his face.

“Why don’t we all sit down?” Asra suggests.

“Good idea!” you say breathily as you step out from Lucio’s hold to pull out a seat. 

Asra quickly slips into one of the seats beside you. He flashes his usual serene smile as he pulls his chair up closer to the table. Both Julian and Lucio look from between each other and the other empty seat beside you. Julian quickly places one of his long lanky legs over the chair to set his foot in it. The position looked very awkward, but he managed to hold it. Julian gave a victorious smile as he stepped over and into the seat. Lucio looked rather dejected for a moment, before putting on a smile again as he sat across from you.

“Noddy did a great job with everything,” Lucio lightly comments to entice you back into conversation.

“Yes, she did,” Asra replies with a pointed look at the other.

“I wasn’t aware that Nadia was holding a charity event,” you say truthfully.

“Pasha told me this has been in the works for weeks. She coordinated everything that Nadia requested,” Julian says proudly, “I guess the timing just worked out”.

“How is Portia?” you ask politely. Your heart is still beating at a mile per minute, but you’re doing your best to try to act calm and normal.

“She’s...she’s good. She’s hiding around here somewhere in the background,” Julian says as he taps his fingers along the table anxiously.

“I never understood why you didn’t promote her more,” Lucio says candidly.

“Pasha would’ve hated that. Trust me I tried,” Julian replies as he leans back in his chair. Julian’s response was reminiscent of what Portia told you yesterday. Another thought comes to mind about early yesterday that was never truly elaborated on.

“You and Lucio were roommates?” you ask. The question seems to take everyone at the table off guard. Lucio is the first to recover with a sly smile.

“Why yes we were. Why do you ask?” Lucio says as he leans onto the table.

“No reason. I was just curious,” you say.

“They were infamous,” Asra comments.

“Infamous?” you repeat.

“I wouldn’t say infamous,” Julian says with a smirk, “but our exploits in youth were rather legendary”

“We owned this town,” Lucio says confidently. Asra rolls his eyes. You stifle a laugh at his reaction.

“The stories I can and will tell,” Julian says with a wink.

Unfortunately before Julian gets a chance to share a story or two, the lights in the room dim. A spotlight is placed on Nadia as she takes her position in the center of the makeshift stage. She adjusts the microphone that was set up for her and nods her head to her audience. The table's attention turns to Nadia.

“Welcome honored guests and friends. I cannot thank you enough for attending this event. As you know any contributions earned today will be going to students of the arts. In a city dominated by artists, musicians, and movie stars; I believe everyone should get the opportunity to learn, improve, and later master their talents. By nurturing young artists of every kind, we’re making way for a better tomorrow. How you may ask? Imagine a life without art. A colorless, soundless, shapeless, tasteless abyss of what we would call "living". But that, in fact, is not living. It is suffering. A life without art is in reality not a life at all. We all need art in our lives, and we'd be lying by denying it. Art, in its many forms, is a necessity of life. It is beneath the building structure of anything and everything…” Nadia speaks eloquently. 

Nadia is a master orator. She commands the attention of her audience without addressing it. One cannot help but hold onto every word and every syllable. She is captivating. She is strong. You’re in utter awe of her. Nadia catches your gaze. Her eyes seem to bore into your very soul. Everything else falls mute. It’s just you and her. The spotlight changes its focus.

“And there is no better example of what this event is all about than Y/N, the new and upcoming star. Please stand and be recognized,” Nadia says. You’re flabbergasted. You slowly stand up to the applause around you. The rest of your table seems to look at you adoringly. Your heart is in your throat as you wave. Then the moment ends and the lights shine on Nadia once more.

“Now to the real reason most of you are probably here. The food…” Nadia says jokingly followed by light laughter from her audience, “the servers have set out a variety of things for you to select from. Be aware that the silent auction winners will be announced in the next hour and a half. Those items up for auction are near the back wall. Thank-you again and enjoy”.

Somehow you’ve made it back to your seat without realizing. Other tables are glancing over as they stand up to get food. You’re still taking it all in. You feel a warm hand over your own. Asra’s deep violet eyes stare into your own as his thumb brushes over your skin. It's a comforting gesture. You give him a warm smile in return.

“Lucio Morgasson,” a gruff voice says from behind you.

Lucio immediately looks uncomfortable. His face contorts into one of worry as his hands grip the table cloth in front of him. You turn your head to see just who could elicit such a reaction out of the man. They are a stubby person of pallid complexion. Their cheeks are flushed pink, and their eyes are bright brown almost yellow. Their clothing consists almost entirely of the color red, except for a dark coat and embellishments of gold, making them stand out harshly. 

“It’s Capra,” Lucio says tightly, sweat forming on his brow “What do you want Pontifex?”

“Whatever. The boss wants to speak with you,” Vulgora says as they crack their knuckles.

“Right now?” Lucio asks.

“Now,” Vulgora replies.

You watch Lucio stand and reluctantly follow the other. Your stomach feels unsettled. You wonder what all of that was about. Your eyes follow the two before they disappear into the crowd. Something doesn’t feel right. Asra brings you back to the present as he squeezes your hand in his hold.

“Hungry?” he asks.

“Who was that?” you say, still distracted.

“Vulgora Pontifex. I only know them from association. They’re someone Lucio met when we were first starting out,” Julian says as he gets out of his own seat, “Want to come with me?”

“I’ll wait till there’s less people,” you say. Julian seems disappointed by your response, but leaves you be to go get food.

Your mind is still processing everything that happened today. You’re certain that as soon as the adrenaline wears off you’ll be exhausted. You weren’t used to all this attention. It felt surreal as everything else. It wasn’t bad though. Aside from the media looking for a scoop, the attention you were getting was positive. In some cases, it's really positive! 

“You okay?” Asra asks.

“Oh, I’m fine,” you say as you squeeze his hand back.

“There’s something I should have mentioned to you earlier…” Asra begins.

“What is it?” you ask curiously.

“If you’re planning on starting something with Lucio or… Julian, you should know that they can be selfish. Lucio is selfish in his wants and Julian is selfish in his needs,” Asra says.

“Wh-why tell me this?” you ask, extremely embarrassed now. Were you that obvious?

“I’m telling you this because I care about you. I know firsthand how they can be,” Asra says as he looks at you.  
You’re not sure what to say to Asra’s warning. You know he’s coming from a good place. You ponder over his words. He knows firsthand? Does that mean…? Had he been in a relationship with one of them? Or both of them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucio has been a naughty boy~ 
> 
> Please tell me what you think! I'm selfish like the best bois - I want attention and need praise.


	16. Dante’s Inferno

The rest of the evening went on without a hitch, however, Lucio never returned. You had been worried, but Asra assured you this was normal. Nadia had arrived at your table after your little chat with Asra. She sang your praises that you felt you didn’t rightly deserve just yet. A flush remained on your face for most of the evening from all the affection you received. Portia even joined the table momentarily to say hello and tease her brother. 

After that night, things slowed down a bit. Everyone seemed to have other commitments they needed to attend to before filming. Julian was going to be getting a lot busier as he would be filming for ‘Arcana’ and his doctor role on his other show for a while. Portia had berated him openly at the event about taking on too much responsibility. He had simply waved her off. Meanwhile Nadia was going to visit her parents in New York as her father was performing on Broadway. Asra was rather mysterious about what he would be doing. He just mentioned that he wouldn’t be available.

You were actually currently on your way to visit with Asra’s mother. It wasn’t a social call. Aisha needed to make some special adjustments to your costume. Something about how it would look moving on camera. You didn’t question it. She was the professional after all. You find yourself somewhat lost again in the sea of clothes. A golden flash shines in the corner of your eye.

“Lucio!” you say in surprise as you turn to the source.

He still hasn’t noticed you yet. Lucio is posing in front of one of the mirrors. His left arm is covered in gold plated armor. He manipulates the sharp clawed fingers of the arm. There appears to be some kind of intricate designed costuming under the gold plating that almost looks robotic. It gives you steampunk vibes even without the copper coloring. Lucio practices using his left arm to pick up a cup off a chair and set it back down. He then grabs the mirror he’s looking into to tilt it. He finally sees you as you reflect back in his line of sight.

“Y/N?” Lucio says as he turns.

“Hey!” you say as you walk over to him.

“What do you think?” Lucio asks as he raises his left arm dramatically.

“It looks very cool,” you say with a smile.

“Cool? Not dashing? Heroic?” Lucio says with a grin.

“Is that all there is to the armor?” you reply with a laugh.

“Ah. This is my enchanted, golden prosthetic. The writers’ thought that it would add to my character’s backstory. I lost the original arm in a glorious battle. When we were discussing characters making deals, alchemy came up. Apparently one of the writers really likes full metal alchemist. Thus the arm was born,” Lucio rattles on as he gets closer to you to show it off.

“That’s amazing. Did Aisha have to make this?” you ask curiously.

“Both of Asra’s parents worked on the piece. I’m sure they enjoyed the challenge,” Lucio replies.

“I’m very impressed,” you say with a smile.

“I know I am, but what about the arm?” Lucio says with a smirk. You snort as you meet his eyes. He lowers his arm as he matches your gaze. His expression changes and it looks as if he wants to ask you something as a subtle blush dusts his cheeks. Before he can, curiosity gets the best of you.

“Where did you go the other night?” you ask. Lucio’s face immediately falls. The same nervous energy you felt at the event was emitting from him. Lucio bites his lip before speaking.

“Um...well, I… got caught up talking with some old...friends,” was Lucio’s weak reply.

//////////

_“I got ‘em, Boss,” Vulgora says as they push Lucio forward roughly._

_Lucio is a ball of nerves as he does his best to stand up straight. He holds his hands together in an attempt to not show they were shaking. He makes eye contact with the man in front of him. The other man is just exuding power as he stands there. He has dark-tanned skin and sharp piercing red eyes. His hair is stark black and styled in such a way that it almost looks like horns; the underside is a grayish white in comparison. He wears a white suit, black gloves, and black boots. In addition, he is clothed in a short red drapery that resembles a scarf, and a black and gold vestment similar to a liturgical stole._

_“El Diablo…” Lucio croaks._

_“We’re among polite company, please, call me Dante. Unless you’d like to have our conversation in a more private location?” the man says in a deep sinister voice._

_“No. No… This is fine,” Lucio says nervously._

_“I’m disappointed, Lucio. I haven’t heard from you in almost three years, even with my associates trying to get in touch. I’d hate to think you were trying to skip out on our deal,” Dante says evenly._

_“Of course not,” Lucio says swallowing._

_“Or maybe it’s that you forgot the terms of our deal?” Dante says slowly, “You get fame, power, and money. I get you… and you, work for me”_

_“I remember,” Lucio replies shakily._

_“I suppose you must be. Judging by your latest little project, you’re well aware that if you make a deal with the devil expect to pay the price. Continue to make good on your end of the deal. Or else. So what do you do, Lucio?” Dante says as looms over Lucio._

_“I supply you with people,” Lucio says as he does his best to meet Dante’s gaze._

_“That’s right! People. I need movers, suppliers, and buyers to keep my business going. L.A. is full of people desperate to impress real celebrities, find fame or get an in. Why do you think I’m so supportive of this little event your precious ex-wife is throwing? In fact, that new up and coming star is just…” Dante is interrupted._

_“NO,” Lucio says pointedly._

_“Excuse me?” Dante says as he tilts his head. Lucio takes a breath to build up courage before speaking again._

_“I said ‘no’. Y/N is not going to be any part of this. I won’t let you pull them into your game,” Lucio says with conviction, fire beginning to burn in his eyes._

_“Hmmm… I’m surprised to see you’ve grown a backbone. Fine. If you keep up with your end of our deal, I won’t break your new toy,” Dante says._

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After Lucio had given his weak excuse for his absence, he had remained very quiet. He was just staring at you. Suddenly Lucio brings up his plain arm to cradle your cheek in his palm. You’re taken aback by the action. You wonder what he’s thinking behind those silver eyes. He looks lost. Lucio rubs his thumb over your skin.

“Lucio?” you speak softly.

“I’ll see you on set,” is all Lucio says as he breaks his hold on you. You watch as he carefully takes off the prop arm. He refuses to even look at you now. You want to keep prodding him for answers, but you know he isn’t willing to talk anymore. You turn away and continue your search for Aisha.


	17. The Magician of Hollywood

The day was already filled with a sense of chaotic energy. Everything and everyone seems to be moving a mile per minute. The moment you stepped onto the filming lot you were whisked away to various locations. First you were shown your trailer, shown the food area, shown where your costume change area was, shoved into a costume, and finally taken to the first scene set you’d be filming. You felt like you were out of breath.

You take a few precious moments to take in the scene. The rooms walls are made of false stone, wood beams, and a wooden door. A set of dark maroon curtains cover an archway to the side. Against the back wall is an array of magical looking items such as bottles, potions, herbs, candles, and trinkets. Placed in the relative center is a counter with a glass cover that reveals more of the same magical items. There are two lamps in the actual scene hung on the ‘ceiling’. An alcove on the side gives way to a small area with cushions and a table. It definitely has the feel of a magic shop.

“They did a good job,” a familiar voice says.

“Yeah, they really did,” you say as you turn to Asra with a smile. 

Asra is already in his costume as well. He wears a baggy white shirt rolled up at the sleeves and has it unbuttoned to reveal his chest. He has a magenta, gold-tasseled shawl wrapped across the shirt. In addition he wears a long, sleeveless coat, decorated in a multitude of colors and with the symbol of the Arcana in the corners. A maroon scarf sits across his shoulders, and he has a wide-brimmed, black hat with a large, bright feather. His brown and black slacks have decorative gold studs and end in a pair of dark magenta boots. Around his neck, Asra wears a thick gold choker with simple, rounded carvings and a small blue crystal on a thick cord.

“How does it feel your first time on set?” Asra asks, breaking your observation of his outfit. A slight flush comes to your face and you pray Asra hadn’t taken notice of just how closely you were looking at him.

“Exciting? Nerve wracking? I don’t know. By the way I like your… hat,” you end awkwardly.

Asra breaks out in light laughter at your comment. The flush on your face darkens even more at Asra’s reaction. Butterflies are fluttering in your stomach and up your chest. Asra’s laughter dies down and a wide grin breaks out on his face. He places a gentle hand on your shoulder.

“Thanks for that. I think it’s always good to start work in a good mood. I like the hat too,” Asra says warmly as he looks at you.

“You’re welcome,” you say as Asra’s attitude seems to lighten your spirits as well.

“Alright. Everyone, quiet on set. Actors get in position. Let’s make magic happen,” the voice of Cyfrin Fox echoed throughout the room.

If you want someone to direct an award-winning movie or show, you get Cyfrin Fox. He is known as the magician of Hollywood. He could turn garbage scripts into gold. The fact he was directing ‘Arcana’ kind of left you flabbergasted. Maybe Lucio had been right when he said he could see all the awards coming their way? You had an all star cast with the exception of you, master director, and some of the best costume designers in the business. This had the potential to be absolutely amazing. 

You take a deep breath and nod to Asra as you take your positions. This was your moment. You realized that it could and would take multiple shots, but you wanted to do the best you could. You needed to show you were star quality. You needed to prove that you deserved this. You breathe out and wait for the director’s call.

_ “I’ll miss you…” Asra says. _

_ “Must you leave tonight?” you ask. _

_ “It’s the dead of a moonless night. The right time for beginning a journey…” Asra says. _

“Cut!” Fox shouts, “I think we should start the scene without the hat and other stuff. Asra’s character's motivation is that he doesn’t want to leave, but he has no other choice. We don’t want to make him look eager to go, dressed and ready”

You had been startled by the abrupt stop, but what Fox said made sense. A few of the crew rushed over and took off the extra costume pieces. The set designer made some suggestions on where they could go in the scene and then it was time to go again. Asra gave you a reassuring smile before getting back into character.

_ “I’ll miss you…” Asra says. _

_ “Must you leave tonight?” you ask. _

_ “It’s the dead of a moonless night. The right time for beginning a journey…” Asra says. He moves towards you with an outstretched hand. In his grasp is a set of Tarot cards he’s taken out of his pocket. You slowly accept them as you look up to Asra curiously. “Here...take this. For you to play around with while I’m gone. My Tarot deck.” _

_ “You think I’m ready, Master?” you ask. _

_ “You’re still calling me that…” Asra says, cheeks flushing, “You know I can’t answer that for you. You’ve made incredible progress, but you still won’t let go of your doubt. Do you think you’re ready?” _

_ “Why don’t you ever answer my questions?” you ask with a frown. _

_ “I don’t?” Asra asks surprised, “Well, I may not have all the answers you seek, But… the cards do if you know how to use them. And you do know how to use them, whether you believe it or not,” _

_ Asra moves to pull back the curtain leading to the backroom. He prompts you to use the cards by commenting on seeing how well you’ve learned. A few rays of starlight peek through the gauzy curtains. Asra comments once more about how much time has passed since you last practiced using the Tarot cards. _

“Cut! Perfect! Let’s run through a couple more times and then we’ll set the cameras up for that backroom section,” Fox says as he claps his hands together. 

You go through the scene a couple more times until Fox is satisfied. He then calls for a short break so they can set up for the backroom scene. You give a sigh of relief as you walk off the ‘Magic Shop’ set to the food table to grab a water. You greedily drink up one bottle and then prepare to grab a second. You’ve never been this thirsty before, but saying things over and over has turned your mouth dry.

“Want me to get you a pitcher?” a familiar voice jokes.

“Portia!” you say with a smile, “What brings you here?”

“Work. What else? A personal assistant’s day is never done. Plus I get the added bonus of teasing Ilya on set,” Portia says jokingly. You let out a little chuckle at her words. Oh boy. You had to admit, you were a little excited to see how that went.

“I haven’t seen Julian yet today. I think we might be filming our scene together either tomorrow or the next day depending on how today goes. It’s been fun working off Asra in the scene today. And to be working with Cyfrin Fox is kind of amazing,” you say. You watch as Portia practically sparkles at the mention of Cyfrin Fox.

“He’s one of my all-time favorite directors. He inspires me. I want to be as good of a director as he is one day,” Portia says starstruck.

You begin to comment about how cute Portia is, but you’re interrupted as Lucio bursts into the room. The blond is decked out in full costume. He is wearing a red military style jacket emblazoned with gold, a red sash around his waist, white pants, black boots, and a long fur coat with red inlay. The effect of his outfit is added to of course by the golden armored prosthetic serving as his left arm. You and Portia watch as Lucio marches over to Fox looking rather annoyed about something.

“We just lost Astrid Ketta. She had to back out of filming because of some ‘family emergency’. What are we going to do?” Lucio grumbles to Fox. Cyfrin Fox looks less than impressed with Lucio, but answers anyway.

“What was her role again? The head servant? Is there not someone who could easily fill it?” Fox asks.

“I was going to have her also be Jules' character's secret sibling. Adds more drama to everything,” Lucio says with a huff. Suddenly Lucio’s attention turns to you and Portia. He seems contemplative for a moment then a wide grin comes to his face, “You. The other Devorak,”

“Oh no…” Portia says looking at you, “Help me,”

“Uh?” is all you manage to get out before Lucio is upon you both.

“You’d be perfect. This role was made for you. And I mean that literally… I based the character off you,” Lucio says with a confidence that Portia couldn’t possibly say no.

“You think of me as a servant?” Portia says indignantly.

“Personal Assistant? Servant? Is there really that much of a difference?” Lucio replies as props his right hand on his hip. You find yourself questioning just how out of touch with reality Lucio really is. You put an arm up in an attempt to keep Portia from knocking Lucio’s lights out. You can practically feel her vibrating.

“Lucio, I don’t think…” you’re interrupted.

“Y/N! You think little Devorak should do it right? We’d have to pause filming to find someone else. Plus Noddy’s here and that means she’d be here anyway,” Lucio says as he looks at you expectantly. You resist the urge to sigh.

“Portia’s not really all that into acting. She’d much rather direct. Also, it’s a lot to ask of someone out of nowhere,” you say as you turn to eye Portia again to check if she still was going to take Lucio out.

You try to be as gentle in your explanation as possible. It wasn’t necessarily that you were giving Lucio a pass for his behaviour, but you were worried about your last interaction together. He had held your face so gently, but his eyes were so sad. He seemed fine now, but you wondered how much of that was an act. How often did Lucio pretend in real life? You believe the real him was the one you saw in the park that day and the one in the costume warehouse. Or maybe he was a mixture of both? 

You watch Lucio pause and think about it. He squeezes his lips together and breathes out of his nose. He looks from Portia to Cyfrin Fox and back again. You can tell the gears are turning slowly in his mind. Lucio seems to reach a eureka moment and faces Portia again.

“If you come onto the project, you’ll have unlimited access to Cyfrin Fox. I’ll even see if you can co-direct a later episode if one of the networks takes us on after the pilot episode,” Lucio says as he claps his hands together.

Portia crosses her arms and eyes Lucio. You two had just been talking about how inspired she was by Fox and this would be a great opportunity to try her hand at directing. However, it was Portia’s decision to make and not yours. You hoped she picked what was best for her. Portia’s eyes roam the studio and then she sighs.

“Let me think about it? I’ll give you my decision either later today or tomorrow,” was Portia’s response. It was obviously not the answer Lucio wanted, but he accepted the terms.

“Alright. Let me know as soon as you can,” Lucio says. He looks as if he is about to walk away before stopping and turning back around. His eyes are on you as he smiles, “I almost forgot. After you finish filming for the day, you should stop by my trailer to chat,”

“Oh. Sure,” you reply, somewhat embarrassed.

Lucio seems pleased by your response and he goes on his way again. His steps look light and airy as he walks along. He definitely was in better spirits now. Your attention turns as Portia makes a strange noise beside you. She’s shaking her head as she looks at you. 

“What?” you ask.

“Things both my brother and Nadia have told me about Lucio…” was Portia’s vague answer before sporting a smile again, “Keep up the good work! You and Asra are doing great!”

You want Portia to elaborate more, but are called back onto set for the next scene. You watch as she disappears to another part of the building as you take your position. Asra is eyeing you curiously as he takes his own spot.

“What was going on over there?” he asks.

“Lucio was seeing if Portia would take on a role in the production. The other person pulled out,” you reply.

“Interesting...I wonder how Ilya will feel about this,” Asra says.

“I don’t know…” you say honestly.

The crew is moving around you as everything is set into place. Cyfrin calls for everyone else to be out of the scene aside from you and Asra to start filming. You take your seats at the table as Fox wanted to cut the scene down. He thought filming you sitting down was superfluous and slowed down the pace of the overall story. You couldn’t argue with one of Hollywood’s best directors. 

_ “Because you’re always gone?” you say. _

_ “Maybe.” Asra says flushing,”Someday you’ll find a real teacher… Well, I’m here now. Let’s see how powerful you’ve become”. _

_ Something brushes along your ankle, smooth and cool. Asra reaches down from his chair and holds out his hand. A long purple serpent winds her way up his arm. She flicks her tongue at you.  _ You break character a moment as the snake continues to move towards you.

“Cut!” Fox calls out.

“I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t as ready for the snake as I thought I was,” you say flushing.

“I’ve gotten to know Faust and her handlers the past couple of days. She’s really nice,” Asra says reassuringly.

“I’m sure she is. Sorry. I just need to psych myself up first,” you say as you tap your cheeks. Asra looks amused at your actions, which only causes you to blush even more. Fox waits for you to get back into character and has Faust replaced to her starting position. Then the scene restarts and you get back to where you last stopped with no issues this time.

_ “If we’re all here...let’s begin,” Asra says. _

_ You shuffle the deck. Asra’s gaze follows the cards as they slip through your fingers. Once that is done, you set three cards before you on the table.  _ The ones you need have already been secretly marked so you knew which ones to draw.  _ You flip over the first card to reveal ‘The High Priestess’. _

_ “..The High Priestess” you say aloud, Asra leans in close to inspect it. _

_ “And what is she telling you? Is she speaking to you now?” he asks. _

_ “You’ve forsaken her,” you say. _

_ “I have?” Asra says surprised. _

_ “Yes. You’ve pushed her away, and buried her voice,” you say, Asra frowns, “She calls out, but you won’t listen. Master, if you ignore her…” _

_ Sharp knocking startles you and Asra. _

_ “Did we forget to put out the lantern again?” Asra asks, “Just as well. I can’t stay any longer”. _

“Cut!” Fox calls once more, “That was a solid run through. Let’s go through it again a couple of times. You never know when something magical might happen”

You were learning that being a film star was a lot more demanding than you first thought. Even though in a sense you could correct mistakes in comparison to a stage play, the pressure was still on. Film productions still ate money with time, so you had to use it wisely. You were surprised how fast it became night without you noticing. You had been too nervous to really take a meal break during everything. Now you were practically starving.

“I’m exhausted,” you tell Asra as you head to the trailers.

“First days can be a little draining, but you did great,” Asra says.

“Thanks,” you say flushing, “You were great too”

“Years of practice, plus I’ve worked with Cyfrin Fox before. He’s been my mentor in a way,” Asra says.

“Your mentor?” you ask curiously.

“Cyfrin Fox was actually the one who got me into acting. My parents were working on one of his films when I was much younger. They hadn’t been able to find someone to watch me, so they had brought me along. I was rather mischievous…” Asra says with a rare little grin, “I got into a little bit of trouble on set. However instead of berating my parents or me, Cyrfin offered me a role as one of the lost boys in his version of ‘Peter Pan’”.

Asra reminiscing made him practically glow. He obviously looked at those times very fondly. You made a little mental note to find that version of ‘Peter Pan’ for a later date. You were very much aware of Asra in his years as a teen heartthrob, but you really wanted to see him as a little kid. He was probably absolutely adorable. You can’t help but let your own grin show at the thought.

“That’s really sweet actually,” you say.

“It was definitely a life-changing event,” Asra says with a small laugh, “Do you want to order something to eat together?” 

“I am hungry…” you say as butterflies begin forming in your stomach, all but forgetting your earlier promise to Lucio.

Asra holds out his hand that you happily take as you two head back to his trailer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Things here have been wild and crazy. I tried to make this chapter slightly longer than the others so it would feel like that wait was worth it. I hope you enjoy! Drop a review if you feel like it to tell me how I'm doing!


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